Overview

• Karnataka Congress staged a massive protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, criticizing the BJP-led central government for steep price hikes in fuel, LPG, and essential goods since 2014.
• Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar accused the Centre of favoring the wealthy by reducing income tax rates for the rich while increasing indirect taxes on ordinary citizens.
• Congress leaders compared current prices with UPA-era levels, citing petrol's rise from ₹50 to over ₹100 per litre and LPG cylinders surpassing ₹1,000, alongside surges in gold, silver, and construction material costs.
• JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy defended the Centre, claiming price hikes primarily impact companies, not the common man, while accusing the Karnataka government of burdening citizens through excessive state taxes.
• Congress demanded immediate rollbacks of fuel and LPG price hikes, while also defending state policies like the recent milk price increase, asserting benefits would directly support farmers.