Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi has said that in order to mobilise funds for its guarantee schemes, the Congress-led government in the State has increased the prices of almost every essential commodity, including electricity, milk and fuel. And, now, it has increased bus fare.

Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Joshi said that for the sake of power, the Congress will stoop to any level, as it continues to tell more blatant lies after coming to power which was based on lies.

He said that in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress government has reached the stage of almost stopping its guarantee schemes, while in Karnataka, unable to give salaries to transport corporation employees, it has given permission to raise loans.

“It is increasing prices of every commodity and claiming that it is giving free benefits to the people. It is snatching money from one and giving it to another. Due to corruption and misrule, Karnataka has been reduced to a State with no revenue,” he said.

The Union Minister said that the State government has resorted to giving supari to get elected representatives eliminated and sought to know why accused Rajkumar Kapnoor, a close aide of Minister Priyank Kharge, has not been arrested yet. He asked, “Who is protecting him?”

Mr. Joshi also said that Priyank Kharge should learn from his father on how to behave in political life. “Never in his life, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has spoken in arrogance. Priyank Kharge should stop speaking arrogantly, as this arrogance is not good,” he said.

On Priyank Kharge releasing a photograph of Rajkumar Kapnoor with BJP leader Basavaraj Mattimudu, he said that he is not aware of it but sought to know whether Priyank Kharge released the photograph to defend his “supari offer”.

On the bifurcation of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to carve out an exclusive municipal corporation for Dharwad, he said that to meet the aspirations of the people of Dharwad, the government has taken the decision.

The proposal got the support of the previous BJP government too, he said and hoped that the new corporation will facilitate the development of Dharwad.