Congress’ #MyTaxMyRight protest is illogical : MP Surya

Surya lambasts CM Siddaramaiah for spreading lies & propaganda; terms the protest as purely political, devoid of facts and ridden with an ulterior motive to stoke secessionist agenda

New Delhi, February 7: Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya said the Congress Government in Karnataka has failed Kannadigas with its politically-vitiated protest in Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.

He termed the protest as purely political, devoid of facts and ridden with an ulterior motive to stoke secessionist agenda among the people.

Speaking in Lok Sabha, Surya said: “Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, in our Nada Geethe, says, ‘Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujaate, Jaya Hey Karnataka Mathe’ (Victory to you Mother Karnataka, The Daughter of Mother India!). This is the legacy of Karnataka.

“Further, Kuvempu, while speaking of separatism, said “there should be no space for it. Bharatakhand is the trunk of the tree; the states are its branches. Are the branches there at the base? We are Kannadigas because we are Indians; non-Indians are not Kannadigas. We must never forget this feeling. It should be the basic mantra of our lives; the formula of all our affairs.

“And today, the Congress in Karnataka is speaking of dividing the nation. The party which claims to have gotten independence for India is now demanding a separate nation for the South. Shameful!”

Surya also called the call for a Separate Nation for the South an insult to the Constitution.

“Their demand for a separate nation is an insult to the country, especially to the thousands of soldiers like Late Capt Pranjal and others from Madikeri, Belgavi, Vijayapura working in the Army and CAPFs.”

Right after 1947 when the country got independence, the first princely state to voluntarily accede to the Indian Union was Mysore State. The Maharaja of Mysore also provided then Home Minister Sardar Patel with an aircraft for the use of the country. Hailing from such a state, it is shameful for Congress in Karnataka to demand a separate nation for the South.”

He further said that the demand of My Tax, My Right was illogical and opposed to the federal structure of the Constitution.

“They organised a protest on #MyTaxMyRight today. This is such an illogical protest. Consider this argument – Since Bengaluru is contributing 55% of the revenue to the state, can I, as the Parliamentarian from Bengaluru, demand that the fund allocation should not be made to other places like Kalaburgi, Kolar, Uttara Kannada etc?

“Since Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli contribute most to Bengaluru’s revenue, can they demand that the tax not be utilised in other areas of the city? Similarly, people in the IT/BT sector are contributing the most tax in the city. Can they demand that the tax not be utilised to improve other sectors?”

He added: “Stretching this argument further, can the country’s rich industrialists like Ambani tomorrow demand that since he pays some of the highest taxes in the country, it shouldn’t be used to develop India’s backward districts?

“This is a demand which is unconstitutional and against the Federal structure of the country. Those standing for Social Justice and talking of redistribution of wealth are now championing #MyTaxMyRight.”

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