• Source:JND
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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with his Deputy DK Shivakumar, arrived at Delhi airport on Tuesday night as MLAs and MPs of the Karnataka Congress unit prepared to stage a protest against the central government's tax devolution policies in the national capital on Wednesday. The Grand Old Party's Karnataka unit has named the protest "Chalo Delhi". According to a post on X by CM Siddarmaiah, the protest has been called for 11 a.m. today.

Karnataka CM has accused the Centre of indulging in economic oppression in Karnataka and appealed to the people to join the protest in large numbers.

"Let us raise our voice against the economic oppression of Karnataka by the central government. Let's protest for our rights by participating in large numbers in Satyagraha tomorrow at Jantar Mantar, Delhi," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posted on X.

Shivakumar had said that the protest is not against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that all MLAs should forget party lines and participate.

"The entire government will protest, all MLAs should forget party lines and participate. We all have to fight together for the good of the state. We are in a union system. We have been in cooperation with the central government, but we continue to be treated unfairly by the centre. We didn't get proper relief even during COVID-19, we didn't get grants even during heavy rains. Rs 5300 crore was not given for the Bhadra Meldande project. This is not a protest against BJP. Instead, it is a protest against the discriminatory attitude in financial distribution and drought relief," he said.

Meanwhile, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan is also in the national capital. The LDF, led by the CM, is scheduled to hold a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against the central government on Friday.

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pralhad Joshi said that Siddaramaiah is playing dirty politics, and his remarks hold no solid ground. He has also called the accusation by the Karnataka CM of reduced tax devolution share by Centre "unfounded.".

In a post on X, Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday, "Karnataka CM's accusations lack any solid grounds. They are so unfounded that their own party must be laughing at the sheer ignorance in CM's hollow allegations, after CM Siddaramaiah has presented 13 state budgets in the past, and is expected to understand how public finances work. Nevertheless, let me remind him: States receive 100 per cent of their SGST, and approx. 50 per cent of the IGST collected within the state."

(With input from agencies)