Thu Apr 24 13:37:51 UTC 2025: ## Congress to Stage Statewide Protests Against Central Government’s Economic Policies
**Belagavi, Karnataka, April 24, 2025** – The Karnataka Congress party announced plans for large-scale protests in Belagavi on April 27th and 28th to denounce the Union government’s economic policies, which they blame for rising prices. Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Laxmi Hebbalkar, addressing a party meeting, stated that approximately 30,000 people are expected to participate in the rally at the CPED Grounds.
Senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, are slated to attend. Mr. Jarkiholi criticized the central government’s “indiscriminate privatization, tax exemptions for the super-rich, and non-regulation of fuel prices,” among other policies, as the root cause of inflation. He accused the BJP of attempting to shift blame onto the state government.
Minister Hebbalkar echoed these sentiments, refuting BJP claims that the Congress government’s guarantees are responsible for the price hikes. She emphasized that these guarantees were designed to alleviate the burden of inflation on the poor. Both ministers highlighted the protest’s dual aim: to expose the BJP’s alleged misrepresentation of facts and to champion the preservation of the Constitution. The protests are expected to continue across the state.
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