Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 13: "Tamil Nadu has elected only one BJP member of parliament to the Lok Sabha. Still, the central government has granted huge sums to support the medical and linguistic fields of that state. Karnataka has elected 25 BJP members of parliament. But the centre has not done anything to support Karnataka, which is lamentable," said former Kannada Sahitya Parishad president, Dr Manu Baligar.

He noted that the central government has set up 11 medical colleges in Tamil nadu by spending from its own funds. The 'Central Institute of Classical Tamil' has also been established by the centre, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Thursday as per a tweet of a senior BJP office bearer. "While congratulating the concerned, I wonder why the respect and importance given to Tamil Nadu is not being given to Karnataka. The centre has not done anything significant for Karnataka that has elected 25 BJP MPs. It is regrettable that the MPs have not raised their voices at this discrimination," he commented.

Baligar recalled that when he was the president of Kannada Sahitya Parishad, he had brought pressure many a time seeking to give autonomy to the Central Institute of Indian Languages Mysuru where Kannada study is undertaken. He said that the centre did not uphold these pleas. He felt that the centre needs to do its bit to thank the people of Karnataka and Kannadigas by supporting their languages, state, and culture.