Karnataka to boycott NITI Aayog meet scheduled on July 27: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka will boycott the NITI Aayog meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair on July 27 as a sign of protest against the Union Budget 'neglecting' the state's demands, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday.

"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 in a statement.

"Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who also attended the meeting, has ignored the concerns of the people of Karnataka. We don't feel Kannadigas are heard, and hence there is no point in attending the NITI Aayog meeting," Siddaramaiah said.

Farmers' demands for approval to the Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects were ignored, Siddaramaiah 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 said.

Siddaramaiah also said that Modi is "unable to see states other than Andhra Pradesh and Bihar" and that "his eyes are on the position of PM". The CM further said that Modi's "agenda is exposed in front of the people" and hoped that people of Karnataka would "stand with us in our fight for justice".