Row Over Tejasvi Surya’s Detention In Bengaluru Metro Fare Hike Protest — What We Know So Far

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Monday that Tejasvi Surya, a BJP MP, was arrested by police during a protest against the metro fee hike because he was requested to move his demonstration from the Jayanagar Metro station in Bengaluru to Freedom Park.

Row Over Tejasvi Surya’s Detention In Bengaluru Metro Fare Hike Protest

G Parameshwara asked the Center to decide on metro fares collectively rather than through “one-upmanship” while addressing media.”We detained and then released him because he was causing some protests and issues,” the Karnataka minister stated. Instead of protesting there, police have asked him to do so in Freedom Park. Thus, he has been placed under preventive custody for that reason.

“Now my only suggestion to Tejasvi Surya is at least look into all these aspects. The central government needs to provide us with many infrastructure projects. Whatever legitimate money has to come to us, that has to come. This is a project run by both the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka. We have to work together. It’s not blaming each other. Whenever there is a rise in the fare, I think it has to be a collective decision. Now, why is one-upmanship going on?” he added. Earlier today, Tejasvi Surya was detained and later released by police near Jayanagar Metro station in Bengaluru, where he attempted to stage another protest against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka for the proposed hike in metro fares.

The BJP MP was served a notice yesterday for staging a protest at the Metro station without prior notification to the police. This comes amid the ongoing dispute between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the Centre, with each blaming the other for the proposed metro fare hike. In an X post, following his release, Tejasvi Surya slammed the Karnataka government, alleging “broken” finances. He asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to restore cash support to Bengaluru’s ‘Namma Metro’.

“I will not be silenced if I am arrested! I’m ashamed that the Congress administration detained me for speaking out against the “Khali Trunk” government. Karnataka’s finances are in dire straits, and the people are suffering as a result of skyrocketing expenses and rising Metro prices. No more justifications. One point must be addressed by the Chief Minister in the Budget White Paper: Why, as you acknowledged before the FFC, are the State’s finances weak? Why is Karnataka becoming unaffordable? Why does the state keep raising prices? Metro fares will decrease if the finances are fixed and shadow cash support is reinstated. “Anything less is dishonest,” the BJP lawmaker wrote.

(With Inputs From ANI)

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