BJP Yuva Morcha National President and MP Tejasvi Surya speaks to the media at a metro station, in Bengaluru on February 9, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Video grab
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya was detained and later released by police on February 9 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 Namma Metro fares.
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. That 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.
According to Mr. Surya, the proposed hike was put on hold after the Centre’s intervention.
The MP staged a demonstration with an empty trunk to convey that the State Government’s promises are empty.
The protest was also in response to Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar’s statement that ‘Surya is an empty trunk who is more active on social media and not on the ground’.
Speaking to PTI after being detained, Mr. Surya said, “Just because we are asking for affordable public transport and accountability, the government is forcing arrest and detention. It’s shameful.” He said that instead of providing roads, infrastructure and better amenities, the state government is ‘arresting’ him.
Speaking to reporters, he also said, “Metro fare hike has been put on hold for the second time due to pressure from the Union Government. The State Government should release a white paper on the economic situation.”
This comes amid the ongoing dispute between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the Centre, with each blaming the other for the proposed hike in Namma Metro fares.
Earlier on February 8, Tejasvi Surya said the Karnataka government repeatedly asked the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) to increase metro fares. He further claimed that the State Government proposed increasing Namma Metro fares by 5%, stating that this would burden commuters and urging the State to conduct periodic fare revisions, as mandated by law.
On February 8, the BJP MP was served a notice for staging a protest at the metro station without prior notification to the police.
Karnataka’s Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao slammed the BJP for politicising the issue, saying that CM Siddaramaiah has already written to the Centre, which has an equal stake in Bengaluru’s Namma Metro, not to increase the prices.
“Unnecessarily, the BJP people want to make politics out of everything. The metro is run by the State and Central governments, and it is a separate corporation. The CM has already written to the government of India not to increase the fare. Now, Tejasvi Surya is saying that they are not going to increase. So, let there be an official order, then we will see,” the Minister told reporters in Bengaluru.
Published – February 09, 2026 11:01 am IST
