Siddaramaiah demands immediate roll back of hike in railway fares
Bengaluru (PTI): Slamming the BJP-led government at the Centre for the railway fare hike, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has demanded its immediate rollback.
The railway ministry issued an official circular on Monday, increasing the fares of the non-air-conditioned class in mail and express trains by 1 paisa and all air-conditioned classes by 2 paise per kilometre from July 1.
"Railway fares hiked!! Who bears the brunt? The daily wage workers, students, small traders, and the common man struggling under rising prices," Siddaramaiah posted on 'X' on Tuesday.
He said, "When we increased milk prices to help our farmers, Karnataka BJP shouted in the streets, and called it anti-people. But now, when the BJP led Union Govt hikes railway fares, there is deafening silence. Why? Because this hike doesn't help farmers or the poor, it only helps BJP Government fill its own coffers."
Noting that when metro fares were hiked in Karnataka after 8 years, BJP leaders rushed to blame the Congress government, ignoring the fact that the fare hike decision was taken by a fare fixation committee constituted by the Union Government itself, he said. Back then, the Centre "manipulated" the narrative to place the burden on the state government, Siddaramaiah added.
"Now, with this railway fare hike, who will they place the burden on?" he asked.
"Your (BJP) 'Vikas Express' seems to run only on the sweat and tears of the poor, while your leaders enjoy power by trampling on democracy. The double standards are clear," he claimed, adding that the BJP's concern for the common man vanishes when it is about its own revenue.
Stating that the Congress stands with the people of Karnataka and the country who are forced to pay more for essential travel, Siddaramaiah said this fare hike must be rolled back immediately.
"Don't make people's daily travel another jumla. Let the trains run, not the people's patience," he added.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
