Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and numerous Congress legislators, is slated to lead a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Wednesday against the central government’s tax allocation policies. The demonstration aims to highlight what they perceive as economic oppression towards Karnataka, with 135 Congress MLAs, 28 MLCs, and several MPs from the state, including Independent MLA Darshan Puttannaiah, expected to participate. Karnataka Congress officials and Youth Congress members are also anticipated to join the protest.
The protest is framed as a non-partisan endeavor against injustice and discrimination in tax distribution. CM Siddaramaiah emphasized the need for unity beyond party lines, asserting that the protest is not aimed at any specific political entity. Despite invitations extended to central government ministers, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others, there has been no indication of their participation.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders have been vocal about the alleged neglect of Karnataka by the central government. Srinivas BV highlighted the urgency of demanding fair tax allocation, while Karnataka minister KH Muniyappa expressed frustration over delays in receiving promised funds for drought relief. However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi dismissed Siddaramaiah’s accusations as baseless political maneuvering.
In a separate event, Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on February 8, with leaders from the INDIA bloc likely to extend support. The demonstration aims to draw attention to what the LDF perceives as the central government’s neglect of Kerala.
#WATCH | BJP Karnataka MPs hold protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament over the alleged misuse of funds by the Karnataka government. pic.twitter.com/QosWkqhNLA
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2024
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