Bengaluru | RBN News
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya was detained by police on Sunday while participating in protests against the proposed Bengaluru Metro fare hike. The BJP Yuva Morcha president alleged that the state government was silencing dissent instead of addressing public concerns over affordable transport.
Speaking during the protest, Surya said it was “shameful” that demonstrators were being detained while issues such as poor road conditions, inadequate infrastructure and rising public transport costs remained unresolved. He said commuters were only demanding reasonably priced and accessible metro services for the city.
Allegations Against Karnataka Government
Surya accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of pushing for the fare increase while attempting to shift blame to the Centre. He alleged that the state government had repeatedly urged authorities to revise metro fares upward, despite public opposition.
“It is unfortunate that instead of improving civic amenities, the government is resorting to detentions. Our demand is simple—affordable public transport for Bengaluru’s residents,” Surya said, according to PTI.
Questions for Chief Minister
Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Surya questioned the state’s position on fare regulation. He pointed out that if the state government now claims it has no authority over fare fixation, it must clarify how it previously directed fare reductions.
“If the government lacked authority earlier, how were fares reduced then? The contradiction speaks for itself,” Surya posted on social media platform X.
Fare Hike Put on Hold
Amid the political exchange, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) announced that the annual fare revision scheduled to take effect from February 9 has been put on hold until further orders.
BMRCL said the matter would be reviewed by its board, and a final decision would be communicated after deliberations, indicating that the proposed hike has not yet been finalised.
Commuter Discontent
Surya said public frustration had been growing due to frequent fare revisions, and alleged that the state government had earlier proposed a 5 percent increase to the Fare Fixation Committee, which would have placed additional financial pressure on daily commuters.
The issue has sparked a wider political debate between the state government and the Centre, while commuters await clarity on future metro fares.
