‘Price hike demon government’: HD Kumaraswamy blasts Karnataka Congress over garbage cess | Bengaluru

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy has strongly criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government for implementing a garbage cess in Bengaluru, accusing it of burdening citizens with relentless price hikes.

He labeled the government a “Price Hike Demon” and compared its governance to blood-sucking leeches.

In a press statement, according to news agency ANI, Kumaraswamy said, “From today, the Congress Company government is imposing a cess even on garbage! It is draining the blood of the people!”

He accused the state government of deceiving citizens with false promises while continuously increasing costs. “This is the governance style of the Karnataka East India Congress Company! Every month, they impose new price hikes under various pretexts,” he added.

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Kumaraswamy alleged that the government is misusing its five guarantees as an excuse for unprecedented price hikes. Drawing a historical parallel, he said, “Even invaders like Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori, who plundered India, would be ashamed of the Congress government’s loot.”

The minister further slammed the government for systematically increasing prices across multiple sectors. “They have hiked the prices of water, metro fares, KSRTC bus tickets, milk (three times), electricity, stamp duty, guideline value, excise duty, outpatient fees in government hospitals, post-mortem charges, medical certificate fees, lab tests, professional tax, and even seed prices. This is the ‘Price Hike Demon’ Congress government,” he declared.

Expressing his outrage over the newly introduced garbage cess, Kumaraswamy said, “As if the previous hikes weren’t enough, from April 1, they are imposing a Garbage Cess! Under the guise of waste management, they have created a multi-crore looting scheme.”

What is ‘Garbage tax’?

Starting April 1, Bengalureans will have to pay a mandatory Solid Waste Management (SWM) user fee as part of an initiative to improve waste collection and disposal across the city.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has made it compulsory for all property owners to contribute towards waste management, with fees collected alongside property tax. The city aims to generate ₹685 crore through this initiative in the current fiscal year, the New Indian Express reported.

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