Credit war over Bengaluru Metro fare hike put on hold: DK Shivakumar says Karnataka govt did it, Tejasvi Surya blames state finances

A political blame game erupted between Congress and BJP on Monday after the proposed 5 percent fare hike for Bengaluru Metro, scheduled to take effect on February 9, was put on hold.

Karnataka deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar claimed that the decision to withhold the fare increase was taken by the state government, stating that the Centre had no role or authority in the matter.

Also, read: After public outrage, Bengaluru Metro puts fare revision on hold: BMRCL sources

“Karnataka Congress government has taken the decision to withhold the Metro fare hike. The letter sent by the Central government has no value,” Shivakumar said while addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha.

Dismissing allegations that the state government had sought the fare hike, Shivakumar said the Centre had no legal authority to intervene unless a new Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) was constituted.

“If the Centre says under which law it has written such a letter, we can accept it. Until a new fare fixation committee is formed, the Central government has no authority to issue directions,” he said, adding that he had instructed officials to recalculate fares based on the formula adopted by the Delhi Metro.

Also, read: Tejasvi Surya detained during Namma Metro fare hike protest, calls Karnataka govt 'khali trunk'

“There is too much politics around this issue. I kept quiet to see what directions would come from Delhi. The meeting itself has now been postponed,” Shivakumar said, stating that the state government was acting in the interest of commuters.

He reiterated that the fare revision was decided by the previous FFC nearly a year ago and was scheduled to be implemented on February 9, 2026, in line with its recommendations. “Those speaking today did not raise objections then. The people of Bengaluru accepted it with dignity,” he claimed.

Shivakumar added that the government had directed BMRCL to pause the hike and recalculate fares by reassessing operational costs, including power tariffs, CPI-linked variables, staff costs and fuel expenses.

On how long the hike would remain on hold, Shivakumar said the process would take time. “There are stages to everything. It cannot be done in a couple of days,” he said.

Police detain Tejasvi Surya

Meanwhile, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya accused the Congress-led government of pushing the metro operator into financial distress, forcing it to raise fares.

Earlier in the day, Surya arrived at RV Road Metro Station carrying an empty trunk bearing the slogan “Congress Sarkara, Khali Trunk Sarkara” to highlight what he described as the state’s depleted finances. He was denied entry into the station by police, detained briefly at the Jayanagar Police Station and later released.

Surya claimed that the state government’s withdrawal of Shadow Cash Support (SCS) to BMRCL-earlier provided to cover cash losses and loan repayments-had compelled the metro operator to seek higher fares.

“The Fare Fixation Committee’s report itself notes that officials from the state finance and urban development departments sought an upward revision of fares to reduce the government’s financial burden,” Surya said.

Posting on X after his detention, Surya said, “Karnataka’s finances are broken, and citizens are paying the price through rising Metro fares and soaring costs,” and demanded a White Paper on the state’s finances.

Calling the pause on the fare hike a “temporary relief”, Surya said a permanent solution would require transparent, scientific fare revision and sustained budgetary support for public transport.

The annual fare revision was put on hold on Sunday, after a public outrage, with Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announcing a temporary pause.

Surya, who has repeatedly flagged alleged anomalies in the FFC report, has called for a fresh review, claiming errors in the choice of base year and calculation of maintenance and administrative costs distorted fare outcomes and eroded public confidence.

Also, read: Why Bengaluru Metro is India’s costliest