Hitting out against the BJP and central government, the top Congress leader said, “The Centre has burdened the public by increasing the prices of LPG, petrol, diesel and other goods. Our friends in BJP must protest against the Centre for the price rise rather than protesting against the State government.”

“The BJP leaders in Karnataka are protesting against price rise in the state, but they have a slap in their face as their own government in the Centre has increased LPG prices. I appeal to the BJP leaders to extend their fight against the Centre’s price rise too,” Shivakumar said, taking a leaf out of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

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On Monday, The Karnataka Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself exposed the hypocrisy of the “so-called Janaakrosha Yatre” of the Karnataka BJP leaders. Commenting on the price hikes affected by the central government, the chief minister said in a hard-hitting statement that “The Prime Minister has, in effect, confirmed the truth we have been saying all along – that these price hikes are the direct result of the Union Government’s anti-people economic policies.”

Shivakumar was speaking to media persons at Ahmedabad on Tuesday. He said that the main agenda of the AICC meet in the city was to devise strategies to strengthen the party up from the grassroots level.

”The Belagavi AICC session declared this year as the year of organization. The Ahmedabad meet will discuss strengthening the party at the block, taluk and district level,” Shivakumar said.

“Several changes are being brought to the party organization. The responsibility of growing the organization lies with the party workers. This AICC meeting is the prelude to all of us working together. Various aspects of organization building will be discussed under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. We had a convention of party district presidents in New Delhi last week,” the Karnataka deputy chief minister said.

Asked if the victory March of the Congress party would start from Gujarat, he said, “Yes. Joining hands is the beginning, working together is progress.”