BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra on Saturday announced an overnight sit-in protest against the Congress government’s price hikes, at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on April 2.

Speaking to mediapersons at the BJP State office here, he said protests would also be held across all district centres on April 4 and in taluks on April 5 to condemn the policies of the Congress government.

Mr. Vijayendra accused the Congress government of “guaranteeing price hikes”, stating that water tariff, petrol price, and milk price had all been increased. He said that the milk price hike was the Congress government’s “Ugadi gift” to the people. The BJP, he said, would launch a public movement against these price hikes to raise awareness and fight against the Congress government’s policies.

He said the party would also fight the Speaker’s decision to suspend 18 BJP MLAs for six months during the Budget session for unruly behaviour in the House. Mr. Vijayendra said the BJP would hold a protest in front of the Kengal Hanumanthaiya statue near the Vidhana Soudha on April 2 morning and submit a petition to the Speaker in this regard. He said the Speaker’s decision was “an insult to voters” and that all the BJP MLAs and MLCs would boycott committee meetings until the suspensions were revoked.