BS Yediyurappa urges Congress govt in Karnataka to withdraw bus fare hike
Bengaluru, Jan 5: Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday condemned the Congress government's decision to hike the fare of state transport buses in Karnataka and urged it to withdraw the decision immediately.
The revised bus fares, increased by 15 per cent across the board, came into effect at midnight on Saturday, drawing strong criticism from opposition parties and various groups.
"This government has increased the bus fare based on its whims and fancies, burdening the people. I condemn this decision. Providing free bus service for women while shifting the burden onto men is unjust. I urge the government to immediately withdraw the fare hike," Yediyurappa told reporters.
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Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, stated that the state road transport corporations were "never at a loss during the BJP's rule."
"Let them (Congress govt) show their performance and increase the fare. Their performance is bad and yet they have hiked fare. They have increased the fare to balance the burden caused by offering free service (for women)...," he said.
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TN Governor was sent to trouble govt, insult Tamil, Kanimozhi says at DMK protest
Chennai (PTI): DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi alleged on Tuesday that the BJP government at the Centre had made R N Ravi Governor of Tamil Nadu only to give trouble to the DMK government and to insult Tamils.
Stating that the Gubernatorial position was not meant to do politics, she said the Governor was free to go on leave if he wasn't keen on addressing the Legislative Assembly.
“Why play politics? There's no need for the Governor to do politics. He can take leave and refrain from attending Assembly,” the MP from Thoothukudi said while addressing the party members at a massive protest here seeking the Governor’s recall.
The protest -- which held in the district headquarters across the state too -- was also to condemn Ravi for choosing not to read out the address prepared by the state government at the commencement of the maiden Assembly session for this year.
On Monday, Ravi walked out of the Legislative Assembly without reading out the customary address. The Raj Bhavan later said that the Governor left the House in “deep anguish” as the constitution of Bharat and the national anthem were once again “insulted” in the Assembly.
“This was the third time the Governor has disrespected the Assembly,” Kanimozhi said at the protest. She emphasised that the DMK members groomed by leaders like C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi, would under the leadership of Chief Minister and party president M K Stalin soon overcome all hurdles posed by the BJP government through the Governor,
"There's a limit to our leader Stalin's patience... the day is not far off when the Governor would be sent back," Kanimozhi said.
Participating in the protest, DMK organisation secretary R S Bharathi alleged that the Governor wanted to break five decades of practice in the state by deciding to boycott the customary address.
“He is giving lame excuses for not reading the government's address in the Assembly. He has no valid reason to boycott. He is jealous because the states ruled by his party are not performing like Tamil Nadu is under Stalin’s DMK,” Bharathi later told reporters.
BJP Mahila Morcha president and legislator Vanathi Srinivasan condemned the DMK for posting posters condemning the Governor and said it has become the habit of the ruling dispensation to undermine the position of the Governor.
“Whenever he comes to the Assembly, they try to enact a drama as if he is disrespecting Tamil Nadu,” Vanathi Srinivasan told reporters here.
Yesterday, the Governor insisted upon playing the national anthem that was also followed in West Bengal or Kerala, ruled by the DMK’s allies, she said.
“The national anthem is sung whenever the Governor arrives. But here, the DMK thinks that Tamil Nadu has a separate procedure,” Vanathai said slamming the DMK.
