Kerala, Tamil Nadu join Karnataka in protest over funds allocation in Delhi today

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Feb 08, 2024: Kerala and Tamil Nadu have joined their neighbouring states of Karnataka in protesting against the BJP-led Centre over alleged discrimination and neglect in the allocation of funds. Kerala’s Left Front and Tamil Nadu’s DMK will stage protests in Delhi on Thursday against the matter.

 

Kerala’s Left Front agitation will be led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and it will be supported by his Tamil Nadu counterpart and DMK supremo MK Stalin. The Left front ministers, parliamentarians, and legislators will also participate in the protest that will commence at 11 am in the national capital.

On Wednesday, Karnataka Congress veteran and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accompanied by his deputy DK Shivakumar and other state ministers staged a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged injustice to southern states in devolution of taxes.

MK Stalin had, on Tuesday (February 6), written a letter to Pinarayi Vijayan stating that he extends full support towards Kerala government’s legal measures against the central government for allegedly releasing the funds allocated to the state. In the letter, he also said that DMK would take part in the agitation and the party leaders would be wearing black clothes.

"Our voice will not rest until we establish cooperative federalism and retrieve state autonomy," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

The DMK’s ’black shirt’ demonstration will be led by senior leader TR Baalu near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex. The protest is against the central government’s "non-allocation of requisite funds to Tamil Nadu in the Interim Budget 2024-25".

MK Stalin’s party said there was no announcement on Tamil Nadu’s representation seeking relief to the tune of nearly Rs 37,000 crore, following floods due to unprecedented rain in December 2023. "Also, there was no announcement in the interim budget on fund allocation for Tamil Nadu’s development projects, including establishment of the AIIMS in Madurai," the DMK said.

DMK MP TR Baalu said the party MPs from alliance parties, including the Congress, have been requested to join the stir in Delhi today.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister urged Pinarayi Vijayan, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and other opposition leaders "who believe strongly in the Indian Constitution" to stand together in demanding state autonomy.

The Left government in Kerala has been blaming the Centre for the state’s financial problems. In its recently tabled budget, the government attacked the BJP-led Centre, stating the latter was pushing the southern state towards the worst financial crisis in its history. This came close on the heels of the Supreme Court asking the Centre last month to file its reply to the Kerala government’s interim application, seeking urgent release of funds as the financial year was ending in March.

The Kerala government approached the top court in December against borrowing limits imposed by the Centre, which indirectly interfere in the fiscal management of states. The LDF government alleged the Centre was taking away the rights of Kerala.

Meanwhile, the United Democratic Front (UDF) - one of the two major political alliances in Kerala - declined to participate in the protest saying it does not agree with the Left’s narrative of blaming the central government for all the state’s financial troubles.

Courtesy: India Today