The Karnataka government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is gearing up for a significant protest in New Delhi against what they allege to be biased fiscal policies by the Centre towards the national capital. On 7th February, the entire Karnataka Ministry will stage a sit-in demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The state officials, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar, arrived in Delhi late on Tuesday night for the protest, which has been named 'Chalo Delhi' by the Karnataka Congress.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has penned several letters to Union ministers and MPs from the state, highlighting the ongoing grievances against what he perceives as continuous injustice from the Central government and discriminatory treatment towards Karnataka. The protest comes on the heels of Siddaramaiah's accusations against the Centre for withholding funds earmarked for the state, particularly citing the delay in releasing Rs 5,300 crore allocated for the Upper Bhadra scheme, an irrigation program announced in the previous year's budget.
Dubbed as the 'South Tax Movement' on social media, the protest aims to voice Karnataka's dissent against the perceived neglect by the Centre. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with Deputy CM Shivakumar, will be joined by 135 Congress MLAs, 28 MLCs, one Lok Sabha MP, and five Rajya Sabha MPs, with potential participation from Independent MLA Darshan Puttannaiah. The demonstration is also expected to draw support from Karnataka Congress officials and members of the Youth Congress, collectively challenging the central government's policies.