Ahead of ‘Chalo Delhi’ protest tomorrow, Siddaramaiah writes to Union ministers, MPs from Karnataka seeking support
Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Pralhad Joshi, and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge are among those who have been requested to join the stir against the Centre’s “grave injustice” to Karnataka.
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The Karnataka government also splashed full-page advertisements on several newspapers on Tuesday to publicise the 'Chalo Delhi' protest "against the financial atrocities committed by the Central Government on Kannadigas and Karnataka". (File Photo)Ahead of the Karnataka Congress government’s protest against the Centre at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to all Union ministers and MPs from the state seeking their support.
The letters, dated February 5, said that the ‘Chalo Delhi’ protest was against “the continuous injustice from the Central government and the step-motherly treatment meted to Karnataka.” Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, all Congress MLAs and MLCs are scheduled to participate in the day-long protest.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A Narayanaswamy are among those who have been requested to participate in the stir.
“Lives of the people in the state are severely affected by the grave injustice in the devolution of taxes, not releasing drought relief, neglect and delay in providing clearances and grants for various projects in the state etc…,” the letter read.
Karnataka has 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha – 25 from the BJP, one each from the Congress and JD(S), one Independent – and 12 in the Rajya Sabha – six from the BJP, five from the Congress and one from the JD(S).
The protest on Wednesday is part of what the Karnataka Congress is describing as the ‘South Tax Movement’ on social media platforms. Several tweets with the hashtag were shared by Siddaramaiah and other ministers on X, formerly Twitter, and other online platforms.
The Karnataka government also splashed full-page advertisements on several newspapers on Tuesday to publicise the ‘Chalo Delhi’ protest “against the financial atrocities committed by the Central Government on Kannadigas and Karnataka”.
In a briefing held on Monday, Siddaramaiah had claimed that the state incurred losses to the tune of Rs 1.87 lakh crore over the last six years. These losses, according to the government, were due to the reduction in the share of taxes devolved to Karnataka by the Centre under the 15th Finance Commission, faulty implementation of GST, denying the share of states in cesses and surcharges imposed by the Centre and others.
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