New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly countered claims made by the Congress-led Karnataka government that the Centre is neglecting the state, asserting that Karnataka is receiving significantly higher financial assistance under the NDA government compared to the UPA era.

Citing Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the BJP said on Sunday on its official X account that the state is now getting 76 per cent more funds in just one year than it received during the entire 10 years of the previous UPA government.

The BJP also shared a video of the Union Finance Minister presenting facts to dismantle the Karnataka government’s allegations of fund deprivation.

Union Minister Sitharaman’s detailed rebuttal, backed by concrete numbers, aims to set the record straight and highlight the NDA government’s pro-active approach towards supporting states, including those ruled by the opposition parties.

In her address in Bengaluru, Nirmala Sitharaman firmly rejected the Congress’ narrative, saying, “The Karnataka government frequently claims that the Centre is not giving the state its due share. Let us look at the facts.”

She highlighted that tax devolution to Karnataka between 2014 and 2026 has reached nearly Rs 4 lakh crore — five times more than the Rs 82,000 crore the state received in the comparable pre-2014 period under the UPA government.

The Union Minister also noted that grants-in-aid to Karnataka during 2014–2026 stood at about Rs 2.71 lakh crore.

Karnataka has received more than Rs 18,000 crore under the Centre’s 50-year interest-free loan scheme, Union Minister Sitharaman said.

“These figures clearly demonstrate the Centre’s strong commitment to Karnataka’s development,” sources in the BJP said, emphasising increased support through tax devolution, grants, and major infrastructure investments.

The BJP’s sharp response comes amid ongoing political friction between the Congress government in Karnataka and the Central government.

The BJP has accused the state government of repeatedly spreading misinformation to deflect attention from its own governance issues.

–IANS

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