Bengaluru, July 29 (Reporter) On Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday launched a blistering attack on Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing her of “lying” and condemning the BJP-led NDA government for what he termed a flagrant injustice towards Karnataka in the recent Union Budget. Siddaramaiah didn’t hold back, pointing a finger directly at Sitharaman and the central government for failing to meet pre-budget promises. He emphasised that the budget failed to allocate funds for key projects like the Upper Bhadra project, the Bengaluru peripheral ring road, and water body development. Notably absent was the Fifteenth Finance Commission's recommended Rs 5,495 crore in special grants for Karnataka. The Chief Minister voiced frustration over the allocation of grants to states such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar while Karnataka received nothing. He lamented that Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy and Sitharaman had seemingly failed to fight for Karnataka’s fair share. Sitharaman had previously brushed aside Siddaramaiah’s claims as misinformation, suggesting that worsening law and order in Karnataka was driving away potential industry investments. Siddaramaiah didn’t stop there. He chastised Sitharaman for her remarks on industry investment, highlighting that Karnataka had not seen the promised influx of new industries or development projects like the Mekedatu project or an AIIMS in Raichur. He also spotlighted a 31 percent drop in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India, which he attributed to the central government's policies under Sitharaman’s watch. Despite Karnataka being the second-highest in tax contributions nationwide, he questioned why the central government seemed to overlook the state’s significant financial input. In a dramatic show of defiance, Siddaramaiah had boycotted the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. He noted that other non-BJP Chief Ministers, including those from Tamil Nadu and Telangana, had also either boycotted or walked out of the meeting over similar grievances. Addressing accusations of excessive borrowing against Karnataka, Siddaramaiah clarified that the state’s borrowings were within the limits prescribed by the fiscal responsibility act, in stark contrast to the central government’s borrowing of over Rs 15 lakh crore. He urged for a collective protest against what he described as the central government’s injustices and defended Karnataka’s integrity, asserting that under the Congress-led administration, corruption has been significantly reduced...////...