BJP gifts roses to male RTC bus passengers to protest against fare hike

Opposition leaders protest Karnataka bus fare hike, accusing government of cheating people through increased taxes and tariffs.

Leaders of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislature R. Ashok and Chalavadi Narayanaswamy protested against the State Cabinet’s decision to hike RTC bus fares by up to 15%, by giving roses to male passengers and apologising to them “on behalf of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah” at Kempegowda Bus Station here on Friday. They argued that the government had “made bus travel free for women, but doubled it for men.”

Protests were held in other parts of Karnataka as well against bus fare hike that comes into effect on Sunday.

However, this drew the ire of the police who tried to intervene and stop them, leading to a heated exchange between BJP leaders and the police. Mr. Ashok, argued that they were not disturbing the passengers and that they had permission to protest. Reminding the police officers that he had also served as the Home Minister earlier, he accused the police of being biased.

Mr. Ashok came down heavily on the government for the fare hike and said he had come to apologise on behalf of the Chief Minister for increasing bus fares.

“This government has hiked the taxes on fuel, power tariff, registration fee, excise tax, and now bus fares. The hike in the price of milk and water tariff are in the offing soon. To fund the guarantee schemes, the government has been increasing fares, tariffs, and taxes in the State. They are taking away money from the people to give them back through guarantee schemes. This is nothing but cheating people,” he said.