Led by its Karnataka state president DK Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Congress on Monday, held a bullock cart protest to raise the issue of high prices of fuel and cooking gas. Other senior leaders including former ministers like MB Patil too participated in the bullock cart rally to the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on the first day of the Assembly session. This is also the first Assembly session for Basavaraj Bommai as the Chief Minister. The legislative session will be held for 10 days between September 13 and 24.
Speaking ahead of the bull cart rally, Shivakumar said, "The BJP-led Union government is not reducing the prices of daily commodities. The government is being adamant despite several protests across the nation.” Ahead of the protest rally, Shivakumar had also ran a social media campaign on the issue of high cooking gas prices.
Other than the rise of fuel prices, Opposition Congress along with the JD(S) is likely to raise issues on inflation, floods, reduction in the quantity of food for ration card holders, Mysuru gang rape, law and order and the Covid crisis. The opposition is also preparing to raise the contentious caste census report. However, there is dissent within the Congress on the issue as many leaders are not happy with raking up the issue.
Shivakumar also demanded registration of suo moto case against ruling BJP in the state as one of its MLAs and former minister Shrimanth Patil has given a statement that he was offered money by the party at the time of quitting Congress party. "I congratulate the former minister Shrimanth Patil for bringing out the truth. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should start the investigation as to who made the offer of money," he added.