Rahul Gandhi accuses Centre of loot by hiking fuel prices

As campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka enters its last leg, Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Centre was looting public in the name of increasing fuel prices.

The Congress president, who rode a bicycle to protest against rising fuel prices in his 'Jana Aashirwada Yatre' in Kolar, appealed to the public to end governance of those favouring corrupt leaders.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government has been looting the poor to fill the wallets of people like Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi. Fuel prices have been at an all-time high, but nothing is being done by the government on this," he said.

Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul questioned why the former hadn't mandated the farmer loan waiver, in spite of farmers protesting constantly for four years.

"Modiji says this election is about him; this election is about the people of Karnataka. I want to ask him, where was he when farmer loan waiver was granted in Karnataka? If he wanted to, he could have waived



off farmer loans in the entire country in these four years. But he has not spent a single rupee on them," he said.

He further snubbed the Janata Dal (Secular), asking them if they were Janata Dal 'Sangh Parivar'.

"The JD(S) needs to come out clean on whether they will side with the BJP and support B.S. 

Yeddyurappa as the chief ministerial candidate. They have to be honest about who they are supporting. The people of Karnataka are eager to know if they will support us or the BJP," he added.

The Congress scion further accused the Prime Minister and BJP of invoking the principles of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Basavanna, but failing to comply with the same.

On a related note, Rahul is expected to address multiple rallies in other parts of Karnataka later in the day as part of the 9th phase of his Jana Aashirwada Yatre.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect representatives to their 225-seat assembly.

Results will be out on May 15.