The Karnataka government’s decision to increase sales tax on petrol and diesel has led to price hikes of Rs 3 and Rs 3.02, respectively.

The Karnataka Sales Tax (KST) has been raised from 25.92% to 29.84% on petrol and from 14.3% to 18.4% on diesel, according to a government notification. This increase took effect immediately, resulting in a Rs 3 hike for petrol and a Rs 3.02 increase for diesel.

In response, BJP leaders criticized the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, demanding an immediate rollback of the price hike.

## BJP Threatens Statewide Protests

State BJP chief BY Vijayendra announced plans for statewide protests if the price hike is not withdrawn, stating, “We will stage protests across the state in all district centres and other places on Monday if the Chief Minister and the government do not take back the decision of price hike of petrol and diesel. I demand them to roll back the fuel price hike decision.”

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress party of hypocrisy, saying, “The true face of the Congress party has been exposed. The Congress party says that there is inflation in the country, and then the Congress party and its own state governments raise petrol and diesel prices. In Karnataka, they have passed an anti-farmer, anti-common man order, a fatwa, a jizyah tax, and they have increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 and Rs 3.05.”

Poonawalla further alleged that the government raised the tax because “they have bankrupted Karnataka because of their schemes.”

Motorists expressed frustration over the price hike. A biker in Bengaluru told ANI, “The rich can afford petrol, but where will we go? I work at a BPO. I will have to spend Rs 15,000 on petrol… This will greatly affect us.”

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