Senior BJP leader MB Bhanuprakash died of cardiac arrest on Monday while protesting against the Karnataka government following a hike in petrol and diesel prices in the state.
Police said the 69-year-old was rushed to hospital but could not be saved. He was leading the protest in Shivamogga district and also addressed the workers, they added.
“He collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest while getting into his car,” a police source said. “He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but could not be saved.”
Bhanuprakash was a former MLC who had earlier served as the BJP’s state vice-president and district president.
Why is the BJP protesting?
The opposition BJP staged a statewide demonstration against the hike in petrol and diesel prices. On June 15, the state government hiked sales tax on fuel, which will make petrol and diesel costlier.
Petrol prices have gone up by Rs 3 per litre and diesel by Rs 3.5 per litre. The agitation took place at all the district headquarters of the state.
In Bengaluru, state BJP president BY Vijayendra led the agitation. He said the protest has been organised against the anti-people stand of the Congress government.
He alleged that the hike will have a direct impact on all the sectors. Due to the five guarantees, the state government was in a big financial burden. As a result, lot of development work had come to a halt, he said.
“The government realised that stopping the guarantees would result in public outrage. To continue these guarantees, the government did not have money, so it hiked the petrol and diesel prices,” Vijayendra said.
The Congress government’s five guarantee schemes are — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).
According to officials, the hike was aimed at resource mobilisation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the finance minister, reviewed the state’s revenue generation and fiscal position and took the decision.
The increase in fuel prices comes days after the Lok Sabha election results, in which the NDA got 19 out of 28 seats in Karnataka, with the BJP winning 17 and JD(S) two. The ruling Congress won nine seats.
(With PTI inputs)
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