Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and several other Congress ministers, MLAs and MPs from Karnataka protested at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday against the “injustice” done to the state in tax devolution and grants-in-aid over the past few years.
Alleging discrimination towards Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said the state gives Rs 100 in terms of revenue to the Centre but gets back only Rs 13.
“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. Karnataka gives Rs 100 (in terms of revenue) to the Centre but gets back only Rs 13. Karnataka has lost Rs 62,098 crore in the devolution of taxes in 2025-26 because of the (shift from) 14th Finance Commission to 15th Finance Commission. That is why we are agitating,” he said reported Indian Express.
The Congress leaders began gathering at Jantar Mantar around 10.30 am amid sloganeering and holding banners and placards that read “Our Sweat Our Blood Our Tax” and “We Demand Fair Share, Justice For Karnataka”.
Siddaramaiah addressed the gathering from 12 pm to 1 pm surrounded by Karnataka state flags with Kannada songs blaring from loudspeakers.
“Nirmala Sitharaman says ‘I do not want to interfere in the report of the Finance Commission’. Why are you lying? This is all based on facts. Anybody can verify from the budget documents of the Government of India,” Siddaramaiah said, reports Indian Express.
The protesters demanded the Centre to rectify the reported losses of Rs 1.87 lakh crore that Karnataka allegedly incurred under the 15th Finance Commission. Siddaramaiah said the protest was not against the BJP but the discrimination against Karnataka.
“Rs 1.87 lakh crore. In such a big way, injustice was done to Karnataka. Should we keep quiet? Should we not protect the interests of Kannadigas? As CM of the state, I have written so many letters to the Centre but I have not received any reply,” he said.
The chief minister said the Congress wanted the country to be united but that there should be no discrimination against the southern states even as the BJP said that the protest was aimed at raking up the north-south divide.
“I am making this very very clear. That is why I have written a letter to all the MPs of BJP and JDS to participate in this agitation. But they did not participate. It is because we are raising this issue of discrimination meted out by the Government of India, particularly to the state of Karnataka and also [other] southern states,” he said.
Shivakumar, who also spoke during the protest, said, “Shrimati Nirmala Sitharaman is saying that the central government doesn’t have any powers and it all depends upon the Finance Commission. It is an autonomous body, I agree. But what discrimination has been done has to be set right. It is the duty of the Government of India.”
Shivakumar said that the Centre didn’t release any funds even after the chief minister met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue. “Not even a single rupee has been given,” he said.
“When there was this double-engine government (in the state), Nirmala Sitharaman had promised various grants to the people of Karnataka. Even after one year, not even a single rupee has been given. I wish to remind Nirmala Sitharaman, who is representing Karnataka” he added.
Meanwhile, BJP parliamentary board member BS Yediyurappa told reporters that the Congress government had failed to tackle drought and drinking water issues.
Calling the Delhi protest a “big drama”, Yediyurappa said that Siddaramaiah had taken all Congress legislators to Delhi to hide their failures. “They should think to what extent this was right” he said. “Their objective is to gain publicity and not to solve the issue,” the former chief minister said. “This will damage the party (and) people.”