Bengaluru, Oct. 30 -- Mounting a strong defence of the Karnataka Cabinet's decision to hike milk prices by Rs 8 per litre from November 1, IT and Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday blamed the broader inflationary pressures in the country on the Centre's macroeconomic policies, invoking the BJP's 2014 campaign slogan to target the Modi government.

Reacting to opposition criticism over rising living costs, Kharge argued that state-level adjustments are driven by nationwide price escalations and aimed at directly supporting dairy farmers, while insisting that Karnataka's milk rates remain the lowest compared to BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

"Who is responsible for inflation? Is it the state gov...