Mallikarjun Kharge on DK Suresh remarks: Amid an uproar in the Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) on Congress leader and Karnataka minister DK Suresh's remark that 'southern states may soon demand separate nationhood if they continue to be treated unfairly in terms of budgetary allocations', the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge today (February 2) said his party will not tolerate or stand for anyone speaking about breaking the country.
Addressing the House, the Congress national president said, "From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the country and its people are one and will remain so"
Stoking a massive row on Thursday (February 1), Suresh, a Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru who also happens to be the brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, claimed that the Centre was mopping up crores in taxes from the southern states while giving them a negligible share of the same, adding that there will soon be a demand for separate nationhood if the 'injustice' continued.
What DK Suresh said?
"The Centre is not giving the proper share of GST and direct taxes to South Indian states. We are facing grave injustice. The money collected from southern states through taxes is going to North Indian states. If this continues, we will be forced to demand a separate country," the Congress leader said.
"The Centre is taking over Rs 4 lakh crore from us (from tax mop-ups) and we are only receiving a negligible share of it. We need to come out against this and question this government. If the government doesn't go in for necessary course correction, all southern states will have to raise the demand for a separate country," Suresh added.
Condemning the MP over his remark, Kharge, addressing the Upper House on the third day of the Budget Session on Friday, said, "Anyone who speaks of breaking the country can't be tolerated, regardless of which party he belongs to. Mallikarjun Kharge will be the first to say that from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, we are one and we will be so."
BJP demands referral to Ethics Committee:
Amid similar uproarious scenes in the Lower House over the Congress leader's statement, BJP leader and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the remark was against the grain of the Constitution and marks a violation of his solemn oath as a Lok Sabha member. Demanding that the matter be referred to the Ethics Committee, the Union Minister also called on the Congress to act against the MP.
Miffed over the MP's remarks, BJP Lok Sabha member Tejaswi Surya, quoting national poet Kuvempu, posted from his X handle, "Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, in our Nada Geethe, says, 'Jaya Bharatha Jananiya Tanujaate, Jaya Hey Karnataka Mathe (Victory to Mother Karnataka, The Daughter of Mother India!)."
Accusing the Congress of playing divisive politics, the BJP MP added, "While the Congress Party has a history of 'Divide and Rule', its MP Sri @DKSureshINC plays the trick again now, wanting the North and South to be divided."He added that the tax devolution under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been far more than when the UPA government was in power."
The tax devolution to Karnataka during UPA-2 from 2009-14 stood at Rs 53,396 crore, whereas Tax devolution during 2014-19 under Sri @NarendraModi Ji Govt crossed 1.35 lakh crore," Surya wrote.
Hitting back at the BJP MP, Suresh said the Centre has deprived Karnataka of funds and development. Firing back at the BJP MP, Suresh posted on X, "You & the other 25 MPs have become spineless, while unfortunately, I cannot join your ranks, I continue to speak against this injustice."
He claimed that the state's share came down to 3.64 per cent in the 15th Finance Commission as compared to 4.71% in the 14th Finance Commission.
"While Karnataka stands 2nd in Highest GST Collection, it is one of the last few states to receive grants. Karnataka was among the states that lost heavily under the 15th Finance Commission. The 14th Finance Commission gave #Karnataka a share of 4.71% in the divisible pool of taxes. The state's share came down to 3.64%," Suresh claimed in his post.
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