Vijayendra Calls Price Rise Karnataka’s Sixth Guarantee Under Congress Rule
BJP leader slams Siddaramaiah govt over inflation, stalled development, and farmer distress
BJP state president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led Karnataka government, accusing it of worsening the plight of the poor and stalling developmental works. Addressing the Janakrosha Yatra in Yadgir, he dubbed the rising cost of living as the “sixth guarantee” of the Siddaramaiah administration.
“The government promised five guarantees, but the sixth—relentless price hikes—has hurt every household in Karnataka,” Vijayendra said. He alleged that the Congress government had failed on all fronts, from reining in inflation to addressing farmers’ concerns.
“In the last 20 months, prices of over 50 essential commodities have risen. Diesel has gone up by Rs 5.50, petrol by Rs 3, milk by Rs 9, and stamp duty has also increased. Even basic medical tests now cost more for the poor,” he said.
Vijayendra pointed to rising agricultural costs, claiming that farmers now pay Rs 2.5–3 lakh to install power lines for their fields, compared to Rs 25,000 during the BJP’s rule. He also accused the state of withdrawing its share from the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
“No funds have been released for district-level development in the last two years. Not a single new project has been announced,” he said, demanding compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for farmers who lost paddy crops due to recent rains.
Criticizing the government's social policies, Vijayendra alleged, “Instead of focusing on development and social justice, this administration is dividing society on caste and communal lines.”
On national security, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swift response to the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. “PM Modi returned from Saudi Arabia immediately, and Home Minister Amit Shah sent officials to assess the situation,” he said, adding that the abrogation of Article 370 had ended decades of pain for Kashmiri Pandits.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former minister B. Sriramulu, Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, and other senior BJP leaders attended the rally.