Dismissing Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s allegations that non-BJP states are being deprived of their legitimate tax and GST dues, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday dubbed the charges to be a “politically vitiated narrative”.

In the Lok sabha, Chowdhury said there is a general perception across the nation that the non-BJP states are being deprived of their legitimate dues. The latest example, he alleged, is the Congress-ruled Karnataka.

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Responding to the Congress leader’s allegations in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, “Adhir ji, please understand I don’t have the right to change as per my whims and fancies, that I like a state or another state, it is against my party politics. No way, I have no role. I would have to follow rules 100 per cent, and that’s what I have done.”

She explained the procedure of how devolution of taxes to the states is decided upon by the Finance Commission.

“Finance commission gives recommendations which I have to implement, it is done without any fear or favour or anything like that. So this apprehension that some states have been discriminated against is a politically vitiated narrative, which I am sorry to say, vested interests are happy to go about saying it. There is not just a possibility that any finance minister can intervene and say ‘I don’t like this state, stop payment’,” the Union Finance Minister added.

Devolution to the states happens in direct tax matters, as per the recommendations given by the finance commission.

Meanwhile Karnataka CM Siddaramiah will lead a protest against the Union Government in Delhi on February 7. The protest is against what the state terms is step-motherly treatment to it by the Centre.

“It’s not the political protest, it’s a protest for the step motherhood of the central government even when drought hit my state. That’s why we have organised this protest on February 7 at Jantar Mantar. We have adopted a federal system, including Union territories, after we came to power. That’s why we follow it.” Siddaramiah said

“They are misleading and telling lies to the people of the country and the state. This year’s budget size increased though we have been given less than 50 per cent. Our devolution and grants have been cut down. They are increasing cess and surcharge they’re increasing every year and they don’t give share to people. They keep everything. That’s why we will fight it strongly before the Finance Commission,” the Karnataka CM added.