Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar lead Karnataka govt's Delhi protest against centre

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy CM D K Shivakumar, state ministers and Congress MLAs on Wednesday staged a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, alleging injustice from the Centre towards the southern state in devolution of taxes.

The protest coincides with many non-BJP ruled state governments in the south alleging economic discrimination by the Centre.

The ruling Congress leaders of Karnataka demanded that the Centre set right the losses to the tune of Rs 45,000 cr allegedly incurred by the state during the last four years under the 15th Finance Commission. "Karnataka is number two state as far as tax collection is concerned, Maharashtra is number one... Karnataka is contributing more than Rs 4.30 lakh crores as tax... If we collect Rs 100 as tax and give it to the government of India, we are only getting Rs 12-13 back," Siddaramaiah said in his address at the protest.


The chief minister said the formula used to devolve taxes to the states, especially Karnataka, under the 14th Finance Commission was changed by the 15th Finance Commission, and called for reverting to the old formula to stop the loss of revenue to his state.

He rejected the BJP's allegation that the protest was aimed at raking up the north-south divide. "The Congress wants the country to be united but there should be no discrimination against the southern states," he added.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the PCC president of Karnataka, said: "Karnataka is the second biggest state that is giving the highest revenue to this country. We are asking for our rights, we are asking for our share... We have come here to fight for the people of Karnataka."

The protest by the Congress-led state government also coincides with various political parties positioning for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The political circles feel the Siddaramaiah government and the ruling Congress in Karnataka will try to make the alleged "discrimination against the state by the Centre" a major poll plank against the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.