K'taka to boycott NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM, over neglect of state in budget: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, July 23: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said his government had decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, as a mark of protest against the "neglect" of the state’s demands in the Union Budget.
He said there is no point in attending the NITI Aayog meeting, as Kannadigas are not heard.
“Despite my earnest efforts in calling for an all-party MPs meeting in New Delhi to discuss Karnataka's essential needs, the Union Budget has neglected our state's demands,” Siddaramaiah said.
“Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who also attended the meeting, has ignored the concerns of the people of Karnataka. We don't feel that Kannadigas are heard, and hence there is no point in attending the NITI Aayog meeting,” he posted on social media platform X.
“We have decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 July, as a mark of protest,” he added.
Stating that even the farmers' demands to approve Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects have been ignored, the CM said, “There was no attempt to rectify their sin of reducing funds to our state under various categories.”
Funds for metro and other infra projects are still a distant dream, he added.
He said that Modi is unable to see states other than Andhra Pradesh and Bihar because "his eyes are on the position of Prime Minister".
"His agenda is exposed in front of the people. We hope the people of our state stand with us in our fight for justice,” the CM said.
Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah termed the union budget "disappointing" and said, "As Nirmala Sitharaman is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, we had expected her to do justice to the state and hoped that she would protect the interests of the state, but she hsd disappointed and done injustice to the people of Karnataka, he had said.
Despite my earnest efforts in calling for an all-party MPs meeting in New Delhi to discuss Karnataka's essential needs, the Union Budget has neglected our state's demands.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 23, 2024
Finance Minister @nsitharaman, who also attended the meeting, has ignored the concerns of the people of…
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Shivakumar opposes ‘One Nation One Election’, calls it ‘unworkable’
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday strongly opposed the central government’s proposed ‘One Nation One Election’ initiative.
Shivakumar expressed his views at a dialogue on ‘One Nation One Election’ organised by the Joint Parliamentary Study Committee.
He said the plan is a politically motivated, power-centralising scheme that would seriously damage India’s federal structure by weakening states and poses a threat to the democratic system, according to a statement from his office.
As KPCC president and deputy CM of Karnataka, he categorically rejected the proposal, stating that it is being crafted to suit the convenience of those in power at the Centre.
Shivakumar said that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had already passed a resolution opposing ‘One Nation One Election’ and read out the resolution at the meeting.
He firmly stated that it is “not a workable plan” and added that it is “practically impossible.”
“If a government falls midterm due to political instability, a no-confidence motion, or loss of majority, what is the solution?” he asked.
“Elections are held at different times in different states for different terms. Karnataka had its election in 2023, while Tamil Nadu and Kerala had theirs in 2021, and Punjab and Telangana in 2022 and 2023, respectively. How can these elections with varying schedules be synchronised?” he asked.
He added that the proposal is a ploy to suppress the voices of regional and Opposition parties.
He also said the Karnataka government does not agree with the proposal and remains committed to the position of the Congress party’s national leadership.
