Date:20/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/20/stories/2008042059630800.htm

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Rahul playing politics over Bundelkhand, says Mayawati

Atiq Khan

“Instead, he should focus on strengthening Congress”

— PHOTO: PTI

STERN WARNINg: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati addressing a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday.

LUCKNOW: A day after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati accused him of playing petty politics over the Bundelkhand issue.

Instead of politicising the issue of the region’s backwardness, the Congress “yuvraj” (Mr. Gandhi) should devote his energy towards strengthening the Congress (in Uttar Pradesh) and the United Progressive Alliance government, the Chief Minister told journalists here on Saturday.

The price rise, which affected the people, was a far more important issue for the Congress and the Centre to tackle. The Bahujan Samaj Party chief advised Mr. Gandhi to rise above party politics and as an MP from the State should plead with the Centre Uttar Pradesh’s case for a Rs.80,000-crore special package.

Ms. Mayawati threatened to finally withdraw support for the UPA-led government at the Centre if the package was not released in 2-3 months, and remedial measures were not taken to check price rise. Thereafter, the BSP would launch a countrywide agitation against the Congress-led government.

With Bundelkhand emerging as the new battleground for the Congress and the BSP, Mr. Gandhi’s four-day visit to the backward region of the State and his meeting Dalit households added a new dimension to the face-off between the two parties.

Ms. Mayawati placed the onus for the region’s backwardness on the 40 years of Congress rule in the State.

The BSP chief termed Mr. Gandhi’s forays into the drought-hit region naatak baazi (drama) and depicted him as a leader divorced from ground realities.

She said inflation could cause the downfall of the UPA government.

The Chief Minister said that despite the absence of the special package, her government had launched several measures to mitigate the sufferings of the people of Bundelkhand.