Due to PM Modi, K'taka suffered as Rs 5,495 crore special grant not given to state: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, May 20: Newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the state suffering a loss as its legitimate special grant of Rs 5,495 crore mentioned in the interim report of the 15th Finance Commission was not given to it.
Hours after taking oath as Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah said the previous BJP government too did nothing for the state to recover its due.
"In the interim report of the 15th Finance Commission, it was recommended that Karnataka should get a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore, which the BJP government in Karnataka did not take up. Was there any government which did more harm to the state?" Siddaramaiah told reporters.
"Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman removed it from the final report. And she is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka. Because of Narendra Modi, Karnataka suffered a loss," he charged.
"We are entitled legitimately to that interim relief of Rs 5,495 crore, which is not a small amount. It's our loss. The previous BJP government in Karnataka, 25 BJP MPs including Union Minister Pralhad Joshi did not ask the Centre," he alleged.
According to him, Karnataka's contribution to the central taxes is around Rs 4 lakh crore.
ALSO READ: Three-day Karnataka Assembly session from Monday: Siddaramaiah
The Finance Commission is a constitutional body formed by the President to give suggestions on centre-state financial relations, including criteria for grants, devolution of taxes, etc. The 15th Finance Commission was chaired by N K Singh and the recommendations of its report for the financial years 2021-26 period was tabled in Parliament in February 2021.
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'BJP deliberately wants Manipur to burn': Mallikarjun Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): As fresh violence erupted in Manipur, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday alleged the ruling party deliberately wants the border state to burn as "it serves their hateful divisive politics".
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled his poll rallies in Maharashtra in view of the escalating violence in Manipur.
Kharge said the people of state will never forgive or forget that Prime Minister Narendra Modi left them to fend for themselves and never set foot in their state to heal their miseries.
"@narendramodi ji, Under your double engine governments, 'neither Manipur is one, nor is Manipur Safe'," the Congress president said in a post on X.
"Since May 2023, it is undergoing unimaginable pain, division and simmering violence, which has destroyed the future of its people.
"We are saying it with utmost responsibility that it looks that the BJP deliberately wants Manipur to burn, for it serves its hateful divisive politics," he said.
Kharge said at least 17 people have lost their lives since November 7, adding new districts are being added to the list of strife-torn regions and the fire is spilling over to bordering northeastern states.
"You have failed Manipur — a beautiful border state. Even if you visit Manipur in future, people of the state will never forgive or forget that you left them to fend for themselves, and never set foot in their state to heal their miseries and find a solution," the Congress chief said.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also termed the recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur "deeply disturbing".
He urged Prime Minister Modi to visit the state and work towards restoring peace in the region.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the recent string of violent clashes and continuing bloodshed in Manipur is deeply disturbing.
"After more than a year of division and suffering, it was the hope of every Indian that the Central and state governments would make every effort at reconciliation and found a solution," the former Congress chief said.
"I urge the PM once again to visit Manipur and work towards restoring peace and healing in the region," he said.
A day after the bodies of three out of six missing persons were fished out of a river in Manipur, the protesters on Saturday attacked the residences of three state ministers and six MLAs, prompting the government to clamp prohibitory orders in five districts for an indefinite period besides suspending internet services in parts of the state.
In Imphal, angry protesters ransacked the houses of three legislators, including that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh's son-in-law, and set their properties on fire even as the security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the agitators.
