'Taxes Paid by Hindus Should Be Used for Their Development': Karnataka BJP MLA's Bizarre Demand

Bengaluru: After Karnataka Congress recently raised a divisive tax pitch and several party members made and backed a 'separate country' remark, BJP MLA from Belthangady constituency, Harish Poonja seems to have countered it with a bizarre demand. 

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Harish Poonja demanded that taxes paid by Hindus should be used only towards development of the Hindu community, pitching for “Taxes of Hindus, Rights of Hindus”.

“From this financial year onwards, the tax money paid by the Hindus should be used only for the development of Hindus. It is an injustice to the Hindus that the tax money paid by the Hindus belongs to the people of other religions. Taxes of Hindus, rights of Hindus,” Harish Poonja posted in what looks like a veiled attack on the alleged North-South divide pitch raised by Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka.

Karnataka Congress Protest in Delhi

Alleging injustice to Karnataka by the central government on the basis of tax allocation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led a protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on February 7, stating that the tax allocation has led to a loss of over Rs 45,000 crore to the state in the last four years. . He also claimed that the taxes paid by Kannadigas were not useful for the state's difficult times, and the money was going to northern states, calling for a ‘#SouthTaxMovement’.

‘Separate Country for South India’ Demand Sparks Row

Congress MP DK Suresh, brother of Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, earlier made a pitch for ‘separate South India country’. "Central government is giving south Indian states tax money to North India. We (South India) are facing financial problems. If this injustice is not corrected, we have to demand separate nation", the Congress leader had said.

"We are seeing our funds and taxes being given to North Indian states, Hindi belt. This is an injustice to us, Hindi is being imposed on us. Time may come when people of South India may ask for a separate country", DK Suresh had further added.

Later, his comments were backed by other Karnataka Congress members.

MLA Vinay Kulkarni, who’s in Delhi to take part in the Karnataka Congress protest, slated to take place at Jantar Mantar today, was confronted by Republic. When asked about his opinion on the ‘separate country’ remark made earlier by Karnataka MP DK Suresh, Vinay Kulkarni said, “If there’s repeated injustice from the central government, such a situation may arise and the nation will be divided.”

When asked about his opinion on the ‘separate country’ remark made earlier by Karnataka MP DK Suresh, Vinay Kulkarni said, “If there’s repeated injustice from the central government, such a situation may arise and the nation will be divided.”

Another Karnataka Congress member, MLA from Karnataka’s Kunigal constituency, Ranganath, added, “What’s the point of staying in a federal structure if there is injustice? Absolutely nothing wrong in what DK Suresh has said.”