Modi govt cutting Karnataka's share in tax revenue to stop funding for guarantee schemes: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the Modi administration is cutting Karnataka's tax share to dry up funding for the Congress' flagship 'guarantee' schemes.

Siddaramaiah said this at a campaign rally in Nanded in poll-bound Maharashtra.

Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar started their campaign in India's richest state on Friday at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept up his attack on the 'guarantee' schemes while the BJP is trying to capitalise on the Waqf controversy that broke out in Karnataka.

"We're being met with injustice in our rightful share in taxes so that there's no money for the guarantees," Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah called upon Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to fight the union government over unfair devolution of taxes. "If you also want to oppose this, then defeat the BJP and ensure the Maha Vikas Aghadi wins," he said at the rally.

According to Siddaramaiah, Maharashtra gives Rs 8.88 lakh crore to the union government in taxes. It gets back Rs 1.30 lakh crore. "You get only 15 paise back from your taxes," he said. "Karnataka sends Rs 4.5 lakh crore, but gets back Rs 60,000 crore. That's 13-14 paise for every rupee."

Siddaramaiah also extolled the 'guarantee' schemes in Karnataka, the first state where Congress' welfare push was put in action.

"Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana haven't gone bankrupt after implementing the guarantee schemes," Siddaramaiah said. "In Karnataka, we're spending Rs 56,000 crore on the guarantee schemes. Out of a total outlay of Rs 3.71 lakh crore, Rs 1.20 lakh crore is earmarked for development," he said.

Speaking in Mumbai’s Bhiwandi and Chandiwali, Shivakumar also promoted the guarantee schemes. "It was Rahul Gandhi who urged us to announce five schemes after he learnt of the pain people are suffering due to price rise," he said. “The BJP and other Opposition leaders said it would be impossible to roll out the guarantee schemes. But our government demonstrated it is indeed possible."

During their Maharashtra campaign, the duo is expected to clear the air on the Waqf controversy. The row broke out in Vijayapura in the Mumbai-Karnataka (Kittur Karnataka) region where farmers' lands were marked as Waqf assets. In Maharashtra, the BJP has released used Karnataka's Waqf controversy in campaign videos.