North getting more: Karnataka MP says people may demand separate country if injustice to South continues
BJP accuses D K Suresh of calling for 'Bharat todo' (break country) ; his brother DK Shivakumar says it reflects injustice to South, but stresses India is united
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Suresh’s remark drew strong condemnation from BJP leaders, even as Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar – brother of Suresh – maintained that Suresh was voicing the views of the people and India should remain united. (X/ DKSureshINC)Congress MP from Karnataka D K Suresh Thursday said people of South India might have to demand a separate country if “the injustice of not providing the rightful share of taxes (to the southern states) continued”.
The Bangalore Rural MP was speaking to reporters in New Delhi while criticising the Union budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Suresh said that under the current BJP-led regime at the Centre “we are seeing a lot of injustice (in distribution of the share of taxes)”
“Today, if we see the share of taxes distributed, North India is getting more. From us (Karnataka) more than Rs 4 lakh crore is collected every year under various taxes. How much are we getting back? If it is not addressed in the 16th Finance Commission, then people of South India have to raise their voice,” he said.
His remarks invoked strong condemnation from BJP leaders in the state. Suresh’s brother and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that Suresh was voicing the views of the people, but stressed that India should remain united from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra said Suresh, being an MP, should speak responsibly. “This is condemnable… Any people’s representative assumes power with an oath to uphold the sovereignty and unity of the nation. Maybe, I think, he has forgotten it,” he said. Suresh is acting irresponsibly, Vijayendra said, adding that such a statement during the 75th anniversary of the Indian constitution was unfortunate.
Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, in an X post, accused Suresh of calling for ‘Bharat Todo’.
“On one hand Rahul Gandhi is doing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, (and) on the other hand Congress MP and KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar’s brother, D K Suresh calls for Bharat Todo. This is exactly the same mindset of Congress which led to partition in India…. If an elected MP who has taken an oath to protect the sovereignty and integrity of India calls for dividing India, isn’t it a violation of his oath? Mallikarjun Kharge, isn’t this an insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s constitution?” Ashoka posted on X.
Shivakumar said that he was “from Akhand Bharath ” and Suresh “had just talked about the views among the people”. “People are thinking that way because we are being ignored. I am from Akhanada Bharat and India is one,” he said, adding that Suresh was just reflecting on how injustice was being meted out to the Southern states.
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