Addressing the gathering, MLC Ivan D'Souza said, "The BJP must understand that they have a legal obligation to share funds with all states. We pay the second-highest taxes to the Centre after Maharashtra, yet under Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, we have received almost nothing. We are protesting because the Union government has withheld funds due to our election of Siddaramaiah as chief minister."

D'Souza added, "The BJP has allocated funds to Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu to secure their positions, resulting in Andhra Pradesh receiving 25 times more money than Karnataka. This favoritism towards their allies is evident. I urge the NDA MPs from Karnataka to address these budget issues in Parliament. If they truly care about the people, they must raise this matter; otherwise, they are unfit to be MPs. The BJP should have protested in Parliament for youth compensation and GST funds, which we had to reclaim through the Supreme Court. I call upon Narendra Modi and Nirmala Sitharaman to either resolve these issues or resign."

Harish Kumar, District Congress president, criticised the NDA overgnment, stating, "We have gathered to protest the problems caused by the NDA government, which has failed to assist anyone in ten years. The BJP claims there was no progress before 2014, forgetting that India gained independence in 1947. Under BJP rule, there are no developmental programmes. Despite making budgets for ten years, unemployment is rising. The NDA has allocated funds disproportionately, favouring Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The BJP promised 400 seats but now holds only 240. Even BJP-ruled states are dissatisfied with the budget."

Kumar continued, "We expected Kumaraswamy to bring benefits to the state, but he failed. Central ministers are misleading the public, while Rahul Gandhi has connected well with people. This government is betraying the public, and the BJP is hindering progress in Karnataka by focusing on the Valmiki scam."

Former MLA Ramanath Rai added, "Modi's government has completely ignored Karnataka. We expected a fair share in the budget but received nothing. Media channels hyped investments before the budget but went silent afterwards. V Somanna’s visit to the district yielded no results. We demand our rightful share, and the lack of GST funds from the central government is unacceptable."

Rai further remarked, "We are asking for what we rightfully deserve. The BJP government does not address issues such as those faced during NEET exams. When Rahul Gandhi raises these issues in Parliament, his microphone is silenced. The BJP's tactics are aimed at suppressing our voices."

Padmaraj R. Poojary, Congress leader, concluded, "The central government is focused on pleasing their allies and has neglected Mangaluru. Despite Narendra Modi's frequent election visits, Mangaluru has not benefited under his government. There must be transparency in fund allocation. The Congress organised this protest to raise awareness among citizens."