Congress Leader D K Suresh Warns Centre Against Unjust Tax Devolution, Calls for Southern Unity

Bengaluru, March 1: Congress leader and former MP D K Suresh on Saturday cautioned the central government over unjust tax devolution practices, urging it to act fairly before the nation "turns against them." He accused the BJP-led Centre of favoring northern states and attempting to control the nation through the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population.

D K Suresh, younger brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, strongly criticized the Centre during a press conference held in Bengaluru. He stressed that India’s unity stretches far beyond Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, emphasizing equal rights from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

“The Centre will be in trouble if people of the state and the country turn against them. They should learn to pay our share of Central taxes,” he warned.

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BJP Allegedly Weakening Federal Structure​

Suresh highlighted concerns that the central government was deliberately weakening India's federal system through laws and regulations undermining state autonomy.

"If you want to build a strong nation, you have to strengthen the states," he asserted. "Instead of strengthening the country, states are being weakened through laws and rules at every stage."

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He further accused the Centre of deliberately obstructing Karnataka’s development by denying it fair financial allocations through tax revenue distribution.

Call for Southern States to Unite​

Expressing grave concern over the delimitation of Lok Sabha seats based on population, Suresh accused the BJP of engineering electoral dominance for northern states.

"The BJP is trying to get hold of the entire system of the country in favor of north India, which is not proper," he said.

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He urged leaders from southern states to set aside their political differences, unite, and raise a unified voice against what he termed as "step-motherly treatment" by the Centre.

"I appeal to leaders of all parties to keep aside their political differences and work to save their existences," Suresh said, emphasizing the urgency of unity among southern states.

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Concerns Over Legislative Manipulation​

Suresh further alleged that the BJP-led central government intends to frame laws favoring the majority, thereby controlling southern states indirectly.

"If we question the Centre's decision, they'll reply that their hands are tied due to existing laws. The BJP knows how to manage with the law, rules, and Supreme Court," he alleged.

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Previous Controversial Remarks​

Referring to his statement from last February, Suresh had warned that the southern states might even consider demanding a separate nation if their grievances regarding unfair financial distributions and injustices were not adequately addressed.

He had argued previously that taxes generated from the southern states were disproportionately benefiting northern states, thereby depriving the south of its rightful share.