AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami has strongly condemned the Centre’s decision to increase railway fares and has urged the government to withdraw the hike immediately. In a statement, Palaniswami said that the fare hike would severely impact ordinary people, especially the middle class and the poor, who depend on rail travel for their daily commute and essential needs.

The railway fare hike is set to come into effect from July, and concerns have already been raised by passengers across the state. Speaking about the situation at Chennai Central railway station, Palaniswami pointed out that many travellers were visibly upset, even before the new fares were implemented. He said that such a move, at a time when the cost of living is already on the rise, would further burden families already struggling to make ends meet.

Palaniswami also criticized the DMK-led state government, accusing it of adding to the people’s hardship over the last four years by increasing taxes and tariffs across sectors. “Electricity charges, water bills, property tax, dairy prices, professional tax, and registration fees have all gone up under the DMK rule,” he said. According to him, these rising costs have drained the enthusiasm and financial stability of the middle class.

Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his statement, the AIADMK leader questioned whether the government had any concern for the plight of the middle class. He said that imposing yet another hike—this time on rail fares—was unjustified when people were already struggling with inflation and rising taxes.

Palaniswami also alleged hypocrisy from the ruling DMK, noting that while they oppose the Central government’s fare hike, they have imposed several burdens themselves at the state level. He warned that if both state and central governments continue to pass on financial pressure to the public, it would lead to widespread dissatisfaction and unrest.

In conclusion, Edappadi Palaniswami urged the Centre to cancel the proposed fare hike without delay, and also asked the state government to roll back its own recent tax increases to provide some much-needed relief to the people.