Bengaluru, Oct 11 (IANS): Former Congress MP D. K. Suresh alleged on Friday the Central government was provoking Kannadigas (people of Karnataka) with tax injustice, a claim opposed by the BJP.

Suresh said: "Time and again, Karnataka and other southern states are being cheated in tax allocations. The Central government is provoking the people of Karnataka and southern India."

Talking about the tax distribution list released by the Central government on Thursday, he said, "I'm deeply saddened by the injustice being done to Kannadigas. Karnataka, the second-highest tax-paying state in the country, has been allocated only Rs 6,498 crore."

"The southern states collectively have been given Rs 28,152 crore. However, the state of Uttar Pradesh alone has been allocated Rs 31,962 crore. The Central government could have at least corrected the existing injustice," he said.

"The central government must take southern states along with them, just as they do with northern states. They must think of supporting the development of our states," Suresh emphasised.

"Despite sending 19 Members of Parliament from Karnataka, including from the BJP and allied parties, why this attitude towards us? Karnataka has sent the highest number of MPs in the last five elections. Why this step-motherly treatment towards the people of Karnataka?" he said.

Refuting Suresh's claims, BJP Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) N. Ravikumar demanded statistics on how much tax money Karnataka was provided by the successive Congress governments at the Centre.

Talking to media at the party's state office here, BJP MLC said, "We are ready to release the figures on how much financial assistance our Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided. Our government has given more funds to Karnataka and other southern states than the Congress-led government did, and no injustice has been done."