The CPM on Monday urged the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to withdraw the increase in property tax, arguing that it was done “illegally” and in violation of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976.

CPM workers converged in front of the BBMP head office in protest against the hike. They addressed a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and handed it over to Palike officials.

K N Umesh, secretary,  CPM, Bengaluru South, said, “As per section 102 (A) of the KMC Act, the state government must set up the Karnataka State Property Tax Board and place its recommendations before the public before property tax hike. But this has not been done so far. Without constituting the board, how can the BBMP increase the tax? This is a gross violation of the law.”

The CPM said that the decision to increase the tax was taken in September 2015 but the BJP and the JD(S) started protesting it only in the last few days.

“Political parties are deceiving the people by indulging in blame game. All this while, they were sitting quiet and were party to the decision on the hike. We want the tax hike to be withdrawn immediately,” said CPM member Meenakshi Sundaram.