Tejasvi Surya Detained in Bengaluru Metro Fare Hike Protests, Sparks Political Row
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president and BJP Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya was detained by police on Monday during demonstrations in Bengaluru opposing the proposed increase in Namma Metro fares. Protesters carried symbolic "empty trunks" to represent the financial burden on daily commuters, highlighting public discontent with the potential fare revision.
Police officials confirmed that Surya was released after a brief period of detention. The incident has intensified the ongoing political confrontation between the ruling Congress-led Karnataka government and the opposition BJP over responsibility for metro fare adjustments.
Surya Accuses Government of Suppressing Dissent
Following his release, Tejasvi Surya launched a sharp critique against the Karnataka administration, accusing it of suppressing legitimate public protest rather than addressing commuter concerns. "It is shameful that instead of providing better roads, infrastructure and amenities, the state government is forcing and detaining. We are asking for affordable public transport," Surya stated emphatically.
The BJP parliamentarian specifically targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, holding him directly accountable for the proposed fare increase. This accusation comes amid an escalating blame game between state and central authorities regarding jurisdictional control over metro fare determination.
Social Media Exchange Highlights Authority Dispute
In a pointed social media post on Sunday, Surya referenced a year-old message from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that directed a reduction in metro fares. "Where did CM get the authority to direct the reduction or revision of fares last time? If he didn't have authority, like he claims now, to fix or increase the price, where did he get authority to reduce or revise the price? The answer to your question lies there. Cut the drama," Surya wrote on platform X, questioning the consistency of the chief minister's position.
This digital confrontation followed accusations from the Karnataka Congress party that the BJP and central government were ultimately responsible for the fare hike. In their own X post, Congress representatives criticized what they termed the BJP's "'Emergency Exit' strategy" on Namma Metro fares, labeling it "pure hypocrisy." The party questioned how BJP MPs could claim the Union Government had no role in the hike while simultaneously requesting Delhi to temporarily suspend it.
Conflicting Claims Over Fare Fixation Process
Earlier statements from Tejasvi Surya alleged that the Karnataka government had repeatedly urged the Fare Fixation Committee to implement metro fare increases. According to Surya, the state had proposed a five percent hike that would significantly burden commuters, while also calling for periodic fare revisions in accordance with legal requirements.
However, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar presented a contradictory narrative, maintaining that he had not been consulted regarding the fare hike proposal. Shivakumar emphasized that the committee responsible for determining metro fares is chaired by a Union Secretary, suggesting central government involvement in the process.
Political Accusations and Counter-Accusations
Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao accused the BJP of unnecessarily politicizing the metro fare issue. "Unnecessarily the BJP people want to make politics out of everything. The metro is run by the State and Central Govt and it is a separate corporation," Rao told reporters.
Rao further revealed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already written to the central government, which holds equal stake in Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited, formally requesting that fares not be increased. "CM has already written to the Government of India to not increase the fare. Now, Tejasvi Surya is saying that they are not going to increase, so let there be an official order, then we will see," Rao added, challenging the BJP to produce concrete evidence of their commitment to preventing fare hikes.
The detention of Tejasvi Surya has thus become a focal point in the broader political struggle over public transportation affordability and governance accountability in Karnataka's capital city.
