Congress's Lok Sabha MP DK Suresh’s remark where he said that there was no choice for him but to demand a "separate country" for South India, stoked a fresh controversy on Thursday. The Congress MP’s controversial comment came in connection with the fact that, according to him, not enough funds were getting released for the southern state of Karnataka by the Centre.
What did the Congress MP say?
Reacting to today’s Union Budget presented in Parliament, DK Suresh said that "injustice was being served to South India" at the back of the Budget. "Funds that were supposed to reach the South are getting diverted and distributed to North India.”
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He further added that there was no other choice but to ask for a "separate country" as a "result of the situation that Hindi-region has imposed on South India".
Later, justifying his statement, the Congress MP tweeted, "A proud Indian and a proud Kannadiga! South India and especially Karnataka have faced the brutality of injustice in funds distribution. Even after being the 2nd largest GST-contributing state, the Centre has been utterly unjust to Karnataka and Southern states while states like Gujarat have seen a 51 per cent hike. If this is not injustice, then what is?" he asked.
How did the BJP respond?
Retaliating to Suresh’s comments, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said, "While the Congress Party has a history of 'Divide and Rule', its MP DK Suresh plays the trick again now, wanting the North and South to be divided."
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Citing data, Surya tried to establish how tax devolution to Karnataka has increased under the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"On one hand, their leader Rahul Gandhi is attempting to 'unite' the country with his 'Jodo' Yatras. On the other hand, we have an MP who is hell bent on breaking the nation. Congress' idea of divide and rule is much worse than that followed by the colonisers," Tejasvi Surya said in a tweet.
"Kannadigas will never allow this to happen. We will give them a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections and ensure that #CongressMuktBharat attains fruition," he added.
DK Shivakumar defends the Congress MP
Defending the Congress MP, Karnataka Congress chief and state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that DK Suresh, who is his brother, only expressed "people's opinion".
"I am for Akhand Bharat. He has only expressed people's opinion. People are thinking like that because they are being neglected. The country is one. Since injustice is served to people, he (DK Suresh) has said that. India should be together and one. We are all one. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we are one. Every village should get justice."
