<h1>Chief Minister opposes railway fare hike citing middle-class burden while opposition highlights state tax increases</h1> The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister not to increase train fares scheduled for July, citing concerns over reduced ordinary coaches and their impact on middle-class families already facing price rises including cooking gas hikes. The Chief Minister emphasized that railways serve as family connections, not just services. The opposition party leader criticized this stance, pointing to state-level tax increases including property tax, electricity tariffs, and registration charges implemented by the ruling party. The opposition leader argued that state-level increases were significantly higher than the proposed railway fare hike and accused the Chief Minister of hypocrisy regarding public welfare concerns.