Bengaluru, Jan 20 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the country is witnessing a dangerous shift from cooperative federalism to coercive centralism, where decisions are made in Delhi, “imposed on the states and celebrated as reforms”.
He said the idea of India is not one Centre ruling over many states, but many states strengthening one union.
The CM was speaking at the ‘South Indian Socialist Conference’ organised by the Centre for Socialist Studies and Samajwadi Sangama here.
Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah said he was speaking at a time when the very foundations of India’s federal democracy were under severe strain.
“We are not gathered for a ritualistic debate or an academic indulgence. We are here because the idea of India itself is being tested,” he said.
“Cooperative federalism is not a choice; it is the soul of our Constitution,” he said, noting that the principle has echoed from the Constituent Assembly to contemporary debates, reminding the nation that India’s unity lies not in uniformity but in respect for its diverse regions, languages and cultures.
“We are witnessing a dangerous shift from cooperative federalism to coercive centralism. Decisions are being made in Delhi, imposed upon the states and celebrated as reform, even as they suffocate local realities,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that this was not merely a policy issue but a threat to the very structure of the Indian union, executed through “financial control, political pressure and constitutional manipulation.” When the union government withholds funds, delays disaster relief, denies representation and imposes uniform policies, it is not merely “violating federalism but betraying the socialist spirit of the Constitution,” he said.
Alleging that the cooperative and socially democratic approach is being systematically dismantled, Siddaramaiah said the BJP-led union government has replaced “trust with control and partnership with punishment.” He said fiscal federalism has been hollowed out through shrinking tax devolution and the hoarding of resources via cesses and surcharges. “States are reduced to implementers without authority, expected to deliver welfare while being denied funds,” he said.
Pointing out that institutions meant for dialogue are being silenced while dissenting states are financially starved, Siddaramaiah said population control, social progress and responsible governance are no longer rewarded but penalised. “This is not cooperative federalism; it is coercive centralism, and it strikes at the very heart of India’s constitutional democracy.” “The BJP and the RSS are pushing the country into three major crises—delimitation, destruction of constitutional principles and the suppression of fiscal federalism,” he added.
On the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies, the CM warned that if carried out in the manner proposed by the BJP, the political voice of south India would be weakened.
“Our influence over central policies will diminish. In resource allocation, injustice will increase. Our states will gradually become poorer, and India itself will become poorer. This will further strengthen the centralisation of political power,” he said.
“The gravest danger ahead of us is delimitation. Southern states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala did what the nation asked — we controlled population growth, invested in health and education, empowered women and improved human development indicators. And now we are told that because we succeeded, we will lose representation,” he said.
Citing studies, the CM said Uttar Pradesh and Bihar could gain over 20 seats, while Tamil Nadu and Kerala together could lose 16 seats, with Karnataka also facing a serious reduction in political representation. “This is not democracy. This is demographic punishment,” he said.
Representation cannot become a reward for failure and a penalty for success, he said, warning that if delimitation proceeds without correcting this injustice, South India would be “politically marginalised” in its own country.
Noting that the Karnataka government is fighting for justice on several issues in all available forums, Siddaramaiah said socialism is not a relic of the past but the path to the future.
“If federalism survives, India survives. If socialism survives, democracy survives,” he said. PTI KSU SSK ROH
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