Congress won’t be silent spectator of injustice to Karnataka: Deputy CM Shivakumar

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said the Congress party will not be a silent spectator to the injustice being meted out to Karnataka by the BJP government at the Centre.

Addressing the media along with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha, he said, “The BJP government at the Centre has been constantly meting out a raw deal to Karnataka — be it Covid relief, drought relief, MGNREGA or irrigation projects. Our government can’t take this lying down anymore”.

Shivakumar said that the state government would fight for justice to the state. “We have to fight for justice to the State unitedly. The people of Karnataka have reposed faith and given us an opportunity and we have to repay that debt. We have been cooperating with the Centre as we believe in federalism. We have been watching the injustice caused to the State for the last ten years”, he said.

He further alleged that the BJP keeps harping on double-engine government, but they did nothing for the State when they were in power previously.

“We waited patiently that Karnataka will get justice in the Union budget at least, but our trust has been betrayed. Our State is the second biggest contributor in taxes, yet the State doesn’t get its due. Some Northern States which contribute far lesser taxes are given much higher funds than Karnataka. We must raise this issue with the Centre and create awareness among the people of Karnataka. We intend to do that with the protest on February 7”, he said.

#WATCH | Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, "I know that Nirmala Sitharaman is a very intelligent leader & a minister. She represents Karnataka…As far as irrigation is concerned in Karnataka for Upper Bhadra Project she had announced that she is going to give Rs 5,300… pic.twitter.com/siZc5sxI0U

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2024

Calling upon MLAs, MLCs and MPs to participate in the protest cutting across party lines, Shivakumar said, “We must open the eyes of Central leaders to this grave injustice. The chief minister has written a letter regarding this to the Prime minister and I have called on Union ministers and have appraised them of this injustice. But nothing has happened. The State hasn’t received any funds for drought relief”, he said.

He further said that the law has provision to increase the number of man days in MGNREGA from 100 days to 150 days but the Centre isn’t doing that either. “How long can we sit and watch this injustice? This protest is for justice, people’s livelihood, economic independence of the people of Karnataka,” he added.

Asked about Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman’s statement that she has no role in the State’s finances, he said, “I know Nirmala Sitharaman is smart. She represents Karnataka in Rajya Sabha and she is responsible for the State. She had announced Rs 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project in the previous budget. The Finance Minister has every right to address disparities in Finance commissions. She announced many projects for (Gujarat International Finance Tech-City) GIFT city in Gujarat, so why can’t she announce a GIFT city for Karnataka? We are all Indians, why this disparity?”

He further said that he would not comment on other states holding protests in Delhi. Referring to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comment that the Karnataka government has money to spend on guarantee schemes, he said, “Karnataka government has the capability to manage the guarantees it has announced. Let the Centre give us our due share and we will manage the finances of our state”. (ANI)