Bommai lists dosa rates of Bengaluru hotel to counter price rise claims

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai likes his idlis and dosas, and that too from Bengaluru’s famous Janardhan Hotel. At least this much was clear to the state Assembly on Monday, as the CM read out the rates of idli and dosa at the hotel to counter Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s claims on price rise.

“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 at this hotel, I checked the prices for my own interest,” Bommai told the lawmakers, according to a report in Deccan Herald.

“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,” he thundered, asking “what’s the big deal?”

“This is a natural increase… To say this happened because of (the BJP) is wrong… there’s no need to mislead this House,” Bommai told Siddaramaiah.

He further cited the example of fuel price hikes in the 1960s, 1970s till recently, to compare the surges during periods of Congress and BJP rule.

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“We import crude oil. We’re a consuming nation. So, the fluctuation in the international market affects consuming nations,” he said, proceeding to read out the fuel rates.

“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. Between 2014-21, petrol price is up from Rs 77 to about Rs 100, which is a 30 per cent increase,” he told the House, saying that “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.”

He was referring to Siddaramaiah’s usage of the words “criminal loot” to corner the Karnataka BJP government on price rise.

According to the report, the CM said fuel prices would be reined in, and that inflation stood at a “manageable” 6 per cent as against 16 per cent when the UPA was in power at the Centre.

“Siddaramaiah, when he was the CM, hiked sales tax. He did not slash even a single rupee,” Bommai alleged in the House.

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