Signaling a further deterioration in the relationship between the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday took a dig at Congress general secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi and said, “Those who are touring the Bundelkhand region and blaming the BSP government for the prevailing situation, have themselves done nothing to improve the situation.”
“The Centre has been supporting Congress-ruled states,” she said adding that without any Central aid, the state government has prepared a Rs 1,600 crore special package for the region. Among them were a 4,000 mw thermal power project in Lalitpur, a para medical college in Jhansi and a medical college in Banda.
The chief minister also promised that the BSP would provide massive packages for development of the area and declare Bundelkhand as a separate state if it comes to power at the Centre. “During the three years that we got during all the four tenures, we have been working to provide relief to the people of the region with our limited resources,” she said.
Blaming the Congress for the Bundelkhand crisis, Mayawati said the party which ruled the state for the longest period yet was responsible for leaving the drought-affected region to fend for itself.
“The Congress which ruled the state for 38 years and other parties which were in power for 19 years are in fact responsible for the prevailing crisis,” Mayawati said while addressing BSP’s “Haqiqat rally” here.
Stressing that the state government has done a lot despite its limited resources, Mayawati said the Centre has slept over repeated requests for drought relief package. She also put the ball in the Centre’s court to respond to the continued demand for a separate state of Bundelkhand carved out of UP.