Mysore/Mysuru: Strongly condemning the recent fuel price hike by the State Congress Government, the Opposition BJP staged a demonstration  at Gandhi Square in the heart of the city on Thursday.

Addressing the protesters, MLA T.S. Srivatsa alleged that the State Government has been hiking prices of utilities ever since it came to power last year.

Maintaining that the recent fuel price hike has come as a big blow to the common man, he contended that the Congress Government would have hiked petrol and diesel prices much earlier, but for the Model Code of Conduct for the 2024 LS polls.

Stating that the Siddaramaiah Government has hiked prices of 9 essential items in the last one year, he alleged that the Government had utilised Rs. 11,000 crore meant for development of SC/STs, for its five guarantee schemes.

Charging the Government of acting against the interests of the common man, he claimed that rising prices of essential commodities, increasing crimes, arrest of Hindu Karsevaks on flimsy grounds and such other anti-people acts were the hallmark of the Siddaramaiah Government in the past one year.

“The Government should immediately roll back the hiked fuel prices,” he urged.

City BJP President L. Nagendra, who too addressed the gathering, said that D.K. Shivakumar, who is now the Dy.CM, had taken out a mock funeral procession when the previous BJP Government had hiked petrol price  by Re. 1 a litre. Wondering why Shivakumar is now silent when his own Government had hiked petrol, diesel price hike by Rs. 3 a litre, Nagendra said that the fuel price hike effected by the Congress Government will prove to be a disaster for the common man as the hike has enormous cascading effect.

Urging the Government to withdraw the price hike, he said that the people will teach a befitting lesson to the Congress if it does not mend ways.

The protesters later formed a human chain at the spot as part of the protest, which impeded traffic movement around Gandhi Square for some time.

District BJP President L.R. Mahadevaswamy, former Mayors Shivakumar and Sandesh Swamy, former Deputy Mayor Shailendra, party leaders Maheshraje Urs, Paduvarahalli Ramakrishna, H.G. Giridhar, Appanna, B.M. Raghu, Jogi Manju, B.V. Manjunath and others were present.