BJP demands new committee, slams Karnataka govt over metro fare hike

Bengaluru: The proposed hike in Namma Metro fares has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the Karnataka government and the opposition BJP.

Accusing the Congress administration of burdening the common man, the BJP has demanded the immediate constitution of a new Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) to review metro ticket prices.

Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stating that the government was more interested in revenue generation than in protecting the interests of ordinary commuters.

Through a detailed post on X, Ashoka said that the Congress government’s decision to raise metro fares was completely unjustified. He revealed that he personally spoke to Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and briefed him about the negative impact the fare hike would have on Bengaluru residents.

According to Ashoka, Bengaluru already has among the highest metro fares in the country, and another increase would make daily travel unaffordable for thousands of middle-class families.

Following this intervention, the Union Minister directed officials to temporarily suspend the fare hike, which was scheduled to be implemented from Monday. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also welcomed the decision and described it as a big relief for commuters.

Ashoka further said that Khattar had assured him of examining the alleged flaws in the existing fare revision mechanism. He added that the Union government was open to forming a fresh committee for rational and scientific determination of metro fares, provided the state government takes the initiative.

Putting pressure back on the state government, Ashoka demanded that Siddaramaiah abandon what he called a “rigid and insensitive approach.” He urged the government to immediately request the formation of a new FFC instead of forcing an unfair hike on citizens.

“The BJP will continue its struggle until metro travel becomes affordable and this issue is permanently resolved,” he declared.

Also Read: Tejasvi Surya protests metro fare hike, interacts with commuters in Bengaluru