Monday, May 20

“We Are Asking For Our Rights, Our Share”: DK Shivakumar As Karnataka Protests In Delhi

Edited by Fazal Rahman Chembulangad
"We Are Asking For Our Rights, Our Share": DK Shivakumar As Karnataka Protests In Delhi (Photo on X Congress @INCIndia)

Leading the state’s protest against the central government’s alleged fiscal discrimination, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar today said that the state is only asking for its “rights and share.” The state leaders including the chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, Home Minister G Parameshwara, Minister of Large and Medium Industries, Infrastructure Development MB Patil and Laxman Savadiand and other senior leaders today conducted the ‘Chalo Delhi’ protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged unfair distribution of resources into the state. Congress officials, MLAs, MPs and youth congress workers also attended the demonstration.

During his address in the protest, the deputy chief minister noted that Karnataka is the second largest state, contributing the highest revenue to the country. Speaking about the drought relief fund in the state, the deputy chief minister said that even though the state requested for relief fund from the centre, it was not given even a single rupee from the centre. “We are the voice of Karnataka. We demand justice,” DK Shivakumar said.

However, after long delay, the state government had last month released the fund to the drought affected farmers from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to compensate for their loses.

While addressing the protest, the chief minister Siddaramaiah explained the contribution of the Karnataka state to the government of India and how the centre treats the state. “Karnataka is number two as far as tax collection is concerned, Maharashtra is number one. As a matter of fact, this year Karnataka is contributing more than ₹4.30 lakh crores as tax. If we collect ₹100 as tax and give it to the Govt of India, we are only getting ₹12-13 back, that is our share,” Siddaramaiah said.

Supporting the sentiment of the Karnataka government, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi accused the central government of using the Goods and Service Taxes (GST) as a political tool to deprive funds to the governments led by the opposition. However, the Karnataka BJP members are conducting another protest at the Gandhi statue in the Parliament alleging the state government’s misuse of funds.

Moreover, Joining the Karnataka way, the Kerala government has also announced a similar event in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to mark its protest against the alleged financial discrimination against the state on February 2.