BJP State Mahila Morcha on Monday, 2 November staged a large protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru against the Karnataka government's hike in milk prices, with Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje warning that the Congress government must either roll back the price increases and deliver justice to farmers — or face a popular uprising. The demonstration drew party leaders and workers from across the state.

Karandlaje's Warning to the Congress Government

Addressing the protesters directly, Karandlaje issued a sharp ultimatum to the ruling dispensation. 'Before a revolution takes place in the state, the Congress government should leave power. Otherwise, roll back all the prices you have increased and give justice to our farmers,' she said.

The Union Minister alleged that governance in Karnataka had deteriorated sharply in recent months. 'The state government's administration has come down to zero in the last three to four months. Today, it has reached its lowest level. Such a situation has been created in Karnataka,' she charged.

Milk Prices and the Burden on Ordinary Citizens

Karandlaje questioned Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over what she described as the government's Kannada Rajyotsava 'gift' to the people of Karnataka. She argued that those in power were judging the financial condition of ordinary citizens by their own affluent lifestyles.

'Chief Minister, what is your Kannada Rajyotsava gift to the people? You may be wealthy enough to drink Bisleri water in your homes, but we are not people who drink Bisleri. We drink the water of our mother Cauvery,' she said. She stressed that hotel workers, taxi and autorickshaw drivers, and roadside vendors were bearing severe hardship from repeated increases in milk and curd prices, on top of house rent, electricity bills, water bills, and garbage collection charges.

Drought Relief and Farmer Grievances

The Union Minister also attacked the Congress government over drought relief, alleging that farmers had been given ₹2,500 per acre 'as if it were alms,' subject to 17 or 18 conditions. She contrasted this with the previous BJP government led by B.S. Yediyurappa, which she claimed had provided ₹4,000 per acre to farmers in addition to assistance under the Centre's PM-Kisan Samman scheme.

'After coming to power, they stopped the money that the Yediyurappa government was providing to farmers. For even this ₹2,500, they have imposed 17 or 18 rules and conditions,' she charged.

Allegations Over Guarantee Schemes and Transport Corporations

Karandlaje further alleged that ₹5,000 crore under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme had gone unaccounted for by the government. She also criticised the condition of state-run transport corporations, claiming there was no money to repair buses or purchase diesel despite the government's free bus travel scheme for women.

Former Legislative Council member Bharati Shetty, who also addressed the protest, demanded an immediate rollback of the milk price hike and said the previous BJP government had provided subsidies for milk from the state exchequer. 'The Congress government should provide subsidies for milk as promised in its manifesto. But it is not right to give consumers a shock treatment,' she said. Shetty noted that the BJP Mahila Morcha was conducting simultaneous protests against the hike across Karnataka at the district, mandal, and ward levels.

Among those present were BJP Kisan Morcha State Vice-President Bharati Mallikarjun, leaders Poornima Prakash, Bengaluru North Mahila Morcha district president Manjula Devi, Bengaluru Central Mahila Morcha district president Neethu N.M. Reddy, and Bengaluru South Mahila Morcha district president Shwetha Raghavendra. The BJP's statewide agitation signals a sustained opposition campaign ahead of future electoral cycles in Karnataka.