Bengaluru, 9 Feb

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said that BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was detained by police during a metro fare hike protest, as he was asked to hold his demonstration at Freedom Park rather than near the Jayanagar Metro station in Bengaluru.

Speaking to reporters, G Parameshwara urged the Centre to make a collective decision on metro fare, instead of a "one-upmanship".

The Karnataka minister said, "We have detained and then released him, because he was creating some protest and issues. Police have asked him to do the same protest in Freedom Park rather than at that place. So that is why he has been taken into preventive custody."

"Now my only suggestion to Tejasvi Surya is at least look into all these aspects. The central government needs to provide us with many infrastructure projects. Whatever legitimate money has to come to us, that has to come. This is a project run by both the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka. We have to work together. It's not blaming each other. Whenever there is a rise in the fare, I think it has to be a collective decision. Now, why is one-upmanship going on?" he added.

Earlier today, Tejasvi Surya was detained and later released by police near Jayanagar Metro station in Bengaluru, where he attempted to stage another protest against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka for the proposed hike in metro fares.

The BJP MP was served a notice yesterday for staging a protest at the Metro station without prior notification to the police.

This comes amid the ongoing dispute between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the Centre, with each blaming the other for the proposed metro fare hike.

In an X post, following his release, Tejasvi Surya slammed the Karnataka government, alleging "broken" finances. He asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to restore cash support to Bengaluru's 'Namma Metro'.

"Arresting me won't silence me! Shameful that the Congress government arrested me for exposing the truth: That this is a 'Khali Trunk' Govt. Karnataka's finances are broken, and citizens are paying the price through rising Metro fares and soaring costs. No more excuses.

The Chief Minister must present a White Paper in the Budget and answer one question: Why are the State's finances weak, as you have admitted before FFC? Why is it becoming unaffordable in Karnataka? Why is the State increasing prices every day? Fix the finances, restore shadow cash support to Metro, and Metro fares will fall. Anything else is deception," the BJP MP wrote.