Chalo Delhi protest: Over Rs 1 trn due to state, says K'taka Min Jarkiholi

Karnataka minister Satish Jarkiholi on Wednesday said that the Congress government in the southern state is holding a planned protest here in the national capital as over Rs 1 trillion due to them from the Centre.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar along with the state cabinet are here for a protest named Chalo Delhi in Jantar Mantar at 11 am on Wednesday against the central government's tax devolution policies to the state.

Siddaramaiah has accused the Central Government of economic disparities, saying that his government stands against the unfair treatment in tax devolution and grants for 'Kannadigas'.

While speaking to ANI, Karnataka minister Jarkiholi said that the Central government should listen to their demands.

"Over Rs 1 trillion is due to Karnataka. For this, we held meetings with the Union Home Minister, Union Finance Minister, but to date, we have not received our money. We are protesting for this. The government should listen as our demands are right. So many people have come with the Chief Minister, it is the duty of the Central Government to speak on this," Jarkiholi said.

He said that this fight is not against a party but for the justice of the state's people.

"The amount is of the last 10 years when there was a BJP government also in the state," he added.

Meanwhile, Ramalinga Reddy, another state minister, said that this year 220 taluks in Karnataka were declared affected by drought but to date not even a single rupee has been released by the Centre.

"Around Rs 4,50,000 tax will be collected from our state by the central govt but we are getting just Rs 50,000. This year, out of 236 taluks, 220 taluks are declared affected by drought. Till now not even a single rupee has been released for Karnataka," he said.

Apart from him, KPCC Working President Saleem Ahmed said, "Today, we (Karnataka) are suffering a drought...We had demanded Rs 17000 crores almost four months ago but not even a single penny has been released...For this, we are protesting at Jantar Mantar..."

Earlier on Monday, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, said there is a general perception across the nation that the non-BJP states are being deprived of their legitimate dues. The latest example, he alleged, is Congress-ruled Karnataka.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, rubbishing the Congress leader's charges, termed the allegations to be a "politically vitiated narrative" that is being propagated by some vested interest groups.

"Adhir ji, please understand I don't have the right to change as per my whims and fancies, that I like a state or another state, it is against my party politics. No way, I have no role I would have to it follow rules 100 per cent, and that's what I have done," Sitharaman responded, as she explained the procedure of how devolution of taxes to the states is decided upon by the Finance Commission.

"Finance commission gives recommendations which I have to implement, it is done without any fear or favour or anything like that. So this apprehension that some states have been discriminated against is a politically vitiated narrative, which I am sorry to say, vested interests are happy to go about saying it. There is not just a possibility that any finance minister can intervene and say 'I don't like this state, stop payment'," she added.

Devolution to the states happens in direct tax matters, as per the recommendations given by the finance commission.