Three southern states – Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu – have reached Delhi to knock on the doors of the central government alleging discrimination in the federal funds allocated to states.

Karnataka government was the first to take the streets as top leaders of the state, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar, gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. They claim the BJP-ruled government at the Centre is withholding funds and has purposefully reduced the state’s share of tax revenue.

Mr Shivakumar said Karnataka ranks second in Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection and is the biggest contributor to the country’s revenue.

“We are asking for our rights, we are asking for our share. The Karnataka government had sought drought relief funds from the Centre but not even a single rupee was given,” he said.

The protesters, NDTV has been told, are also demanding the centre correct the Rs 1.87 lakh crore loss incurred by the state government. According to the Chief Minister, the formula to calculate the devolution of tax revenue to states, specifically his state, was incorrectly altered by the 15th Finance Commission.

Not to be outdone, the BJP launched a protest of its own – in Bengaluru – to highlight the “failures” of the Congress government in Karnataka. BJP legislators and leaders led by the party state president BY Vijayendra staged a sit-in demonstration in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue near Vidhana Soudha yesterday, which houses the State Legislature and Secretariat of Karnataka.

Holding placards, the protestors raised slogans condemning the Congress government for allegedly failing to offer relief to drought-hit farmers and incentives to milk producers.

Taking a cue from Karnataka’s protest, MPs from Tamil Nadu and Kerala will also stage protests in Delhi today. Through their demonstrations, the state governments aim to highlight the “injustice” in tax devolution and grants-in-aid they have been subjected to over the past few years.

Tamil Nadu MPs of the ruling DMK and its alliance partners will protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex today.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinaryai Vijayan and members of his Left Front government are scheduled to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar today.

The centre vs states row over funds allocation to states has heated up since Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget on February 1. The ongoing session of Parliament has witnessed several arguments between the Centre and the Opposition over the issue. The funds allocation issue also saw Ms Sitharaman and the Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury squabbling in Parliament.

Mr Chowdhury claimed non-BJP states, specifically in South India were “deprived of their financial dues”, including those related to GST, or Goods and Services Tax, compensation.

An incensed Ms Sitharaman hit back, explaining that “devolution to states… happens as per Finance Commission recommendation”, and that she had no “discretion” in the allocation of tax revenues.

From the administrative side, Finance Secretary TV Somanathan told NDTV yesterday that financial allocations to states are based on uniform guidelines that leave no room for discrimination.

A 23-year old Indian-American student at Purdue University, who was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana this week, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to authorities.

Sameer Kamath, a US citizen, was found dead in the woods on February 5 at approximately 5pm in NICHES Land Trust – Crow’s Grove in Williamsport, Indiana.

Justin Brummett, Coroner at Warren County Coroner’s Office, said in a press release Wednesday that a forensic autopsy was performed on Kamath on February 6 in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

The press release from the coroner’s office said that the preliminary cause of death is a “”gunshot wound of the head” and Kamath died by “suicide”. A toxicology report is pending.

“Through extensive investigation by the Warren County Coroner’s Office in conjunction with multiple other local and federal agencies, we are now able to release a preliminary cause and manner of death,” the release said.

The coroner’s office said that prior to releasing this information, Kamath’s family was notified of the results.

This is an ongoing investigation with the Warren County Coroner’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Purdue University Administration and other supporting agencies, it said.

“Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and we hope they are respected during such a difficult time,” Brummett said.

A report in The Purdue Exponent said that Kamath was a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering. The report added that mechanical engineering head Eckhard Groll said in an email to the ME community that Kamath was from Massachusetts.

He “received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and came to Purdue in the summer of 2021,” the Purdue Exponent report added.

Kamath was to graduate from the doctoral program in 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile, the report said.

Kamath’s death is the latest in a string of tragic incidents among students of Indian-origin and from India in the US.

Last month, another Purdue student 19-year old Neel Acharya, who had been reported missing, was found dead on the Purdue University West Lafayette campus. Acharya was a US citizen. Authorities have said that there was no trauma or significant injuries found during the autopsy on Acharya and “no foul play is suspected at this time”.

Last month, 25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini was hammered to death by a homeless drug addict in Georgia. Earlier this month, another Indian student, Syed Mazahir Ali, hailing from Hyderabad and pursuing Masters in information technology, was chased and brutally attacked by three unidentified men in Chicago.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The main opposition Congress is set to bring a ‘black paper’ to counter the Narendra Modi government’s ‘white paper’ on its performance over the past 10 years. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will be releasing the ‘black paper’ shortly, sources have said.

The move is aimed at countering the BJP government’s move to bring a white paper, listing its achievements since it came to power in 2014. In her budget speech on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the government will table a ‘white paper’ in both Houses of Parliament “to look at where we were till 2014 and where we are now”. The only objective behind this move, she said, “was to draw lessons from the mismanagement of those years”.

The short budget session has seen heated exchanges between the treasury and the Opposition benches. Prime Minister Modi has launched attacks on Opposition leaders during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

The Congress president, who was the Prime Minister’s prime target in Rajya Sabha yesterday, hit back in a post on X.

Accusing the Prime Minister of saying “countless false things” against the previous UPA governments, he flagged the rise in unemployment rate, drop in average GDP growth rate and vacant government posts under the incumbent government.

“Despite being in power for 10 years, instead of talking about himself, he only criticises the Congress party. Even today he did not talk about price rise, unemployment and economic inequality?” Mr Kharge said, adding, “‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ is only to spread LIES!”

BJP leader Jayant Sinha has, meanwhile, said the government’s ‘white paper’ will highlight the country’s “poor economic condition” when the Congress-led UPA left power and how the BJP dispensation brought the turnaround.

Participating in a debate on the interim Budget in Lok Sabha, Mr Sinha said India was among ‘fragile five’ economies globally when the UPA was in power in 2013.

“India’s GDP growth had slowed down to 5 per cent, inflation had risen to 10 per cent, NPAs of banks had risen to 10 per cent. The country was facing balance of payment crisis,” the BJP MP said. He said that the Narendra Modi government had brought the turnaround.

“In the white paper, we will clarify what was the position of economy (before 2014)…and how we have tackled the economic problems,” Mr Sinha said.