Bommai cites idli-dosa rates to counter Cong on price rise

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai read out prices of idlis and dosas at a popular Bengaluru hotel to counter Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s claims on price rise in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Bommai was replying to the debate on price rise, in a speech that scoffed at the Congress and showered praises on PM Narendra Modi.

“I have with me the prices of idlis from Janardhan Hotel, which Siddaramaiah raised. He said the prices had doubled in this hotel. As CM, I’m not interested, but since I also eat in this hotel I checked the prices for my own interest,” Bommai said. “The cost of two idlis at Janardhan Hotel in 2017 was Rs 35. It became Rs 26 in 2019 and Rs 38 in 2021. One masala dosa was Rs 80 in 2019 and it is Rs 90 now.”

“This is a natural increase. What’s the big deal? To say this happened because of [BJP] is wrong...there's no need to mislead this House,” Bommai said.

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According to Bommai, fuel prices have risen consistently since the 1960s and 1970s. “We import crude oil. We’re a consuming nation. So, the fluctuation in the international market affects consuming nations,” he said.

Defending the Modi administration, Bommai gave a period-wise increase in petrol prices. “The price of petrol went up 150 per cent from Rs 1.25 to 3 in 1973-79, 122 per cent from Rs 3.60 to Rs 8 in 1979-86, 125 per cent from Rs 8 to Rs 18 in 1983-93, 55 per cent from Rs 18 to Rs 28 in 1993-2000, 70 per cent from Rs 28 to Rs 48 in 2000-07, 60 per cent from Rs 48 to 77 in 2007-14,” Bommai said. “Between 2014-21, petrol price is up from Rs 77 to about Rs 100, which is a 30 per cent increase.”

According to Bommai, this price rise cannot be blamed on the current government. “[Siddaramaiah] used Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s words ‘criminal loot’ on price rise. But whoever has caused this price rise over the years also did criminal loot. Is 30 per cent loot more or 60 per cent loot? We can call it Congress loot,” Bommai said, adding that Congress had no moral right to speak on price rise.

This led to a din as Congress took objection to this statement.

Bommai also said nearly 40 per cent of the revenue from excise duty on fuel is given to the states. He added that procurement of food grains, MSP for farmers and highways development had seen a considerable increase under the Modi regime.

Asserting that fuel prices will be reigned in, Bommai said inflation stood at a “manageable” 6 per cent as against 16 per cent when the UPA was in power.

The CM, who is also the finance minister, said sales tax is the only resource available for the states in a post-GST world. “Siddaramaiah, when he was the CM, hiked sales tax. He did not slash even a single rupee,” Bommai said, ruling out any downward revision as demanded by Congress.

During the din, Siddaramaiah said Bommai’s speech is “the most irrelevant reply”.