"Centre should not try to weaken states...": Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Replying to the debate on the Governor's speech in the Legislative Council, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said," Our constitution has designed that we will have a federal system. The whole country has accepted this. But the federal system should not be destroyed. Narendra Modi says 'cooperative federalism'. But the same is not seen in him or in the Union Government's behaviour."

The Chief Minister pointed out that the Centre, for the past 10 years, has continuously done injustice to Karnataka.

"The tax is contributed by the state to the Centre. Rs 4.30 lakh crore tax is contributed by the state. An amount of Rs 37,252 crore for 2023-24 is allocated from tax devolution. Rs 13,005 crore is allocated to centrally sponsored schemes, which amounts to only Rs 50,257 crore. As the budget size of the centre increases, the share of the state should also increase accordingly. However, even as the budget size of the centre is increasing, the share of taxes and grants due to the Kannadigas is decreasing," the Chief Minister said.

"It is our duty to protect the Kannadigas. If the state is strong, the centre will be strong," he added.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Karnataka Chief Minister said, "If we question the injustice being done to the state and the people of the state, Prime Minister Modi says that we are talking about dividing the country."

Explaining the role of Congress in the freedom movement in detail, Siddaramaiah said that there is no history available for the BJP in its fight for the country's independence.

"There is no history of freedom struggle for the BJP. There is no history of them fighting for the country. After the country got freedom from our struggle, now they are claiming to be nationalists. But the history of India has recorded who are the real nationalists," he said.

Karnataka's Budget Session commenced on February 12 with an address by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. (ANI)