Amid Modi's 'North-South Divide' Charge, Kerala & TN Govt's Protest In Delhi Over Centre's 'Partiality'

ALSO Kerala's Left Front and Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are staging separate protests in Delhi today against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre's alleged "partiality" in allocation of funds to the southern states, an accusation that the BJP has termed as an attempt to create "north-south divide".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Maan will also join Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) protest against the Centre at Jantar Mantar in Delhi today.

The LDF's protest, to be led by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has the support of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin as well. The Left front ministers, legislators and parliamentarians are also taking part in the protest.

On Wednesday, parallel protests were held in Delhi and Bengaluru by the Congress-led Karnataka government and BJP, respectively, over their allegations against each other.

DMK's ‘Black Shirt’

DMK is holding a ‘black shirt’ demonstration, led by senior leader TR Baalu, near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to protest against the Centre over ‘non-allocation’ of requisite funds to Tamil Nadu in the interim budget 2024-25.

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The DMK accused the BJP-led Centre of ‘partiality’ as Tamil Nadu was not appropriately funded to tackle the situation arising out of damage caused by the recent cyclone, rains and flood.

DMK MP and the party’s Parliamentary party leader, Baalu, said the MPs from alliance parties, including the Congress have been requested to join them in the national capital.

The DMK said that in the interim budget, there was no announcement on Tamil Nadu’s representation seeking relief to the tune of about Rs 37,000 crore following the cyclone, unprecedented rains and flood in December 2023.

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“Also, there was no announcement in the interim budget on fund allocation for Tamil Nadu’s development projects, including establishment of the AIIMS in Madurai," the DMK said.

PM Modi Slams Opposition For 'Dividing' North And South

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the Congress and its government in Karnataka to stop creating a narrative to divide the country into north and south saying it jeopardises the country's future.

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Replying to the debate to the Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi slammed the Karnataka government over "building such a narrative through advertisements."

PM Modi was referring to the protest dharna by the Congress led by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over alleged "injustice" meted out by the Centre on devolution of tax share to the state.

"Today I want to share my pain on a specific matter...The way language is being spoken these days to break the country, these new narratives are being made for political gains. An entire state is speaking this language, nothing can be worse for the country than this...what language have we started saying," he said.

PM Modi said such narratives were not good for the country and could jeopardise its future.

(With PTI inputs)