NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday accused the Uttar Pradesh Government of resorting to "melodramatic" gestures such as giving doles to "hide" its failures.

Referring to the distribution of scholarships to girls and unemployment allowances to youth by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the Government had claimed that it did not have enough funds to run social welfare schemes in the State.

Now, it had drawn up plans to distribute saris, worth Rs. 250 crore, procured from outside the State. The Samajwadi Party-led Government had, perhaps, modelled the scheme after the Bharatiya Janata Party, which indulged in a similar act a few years ago.

In an apparent reference to the sari distribution by BJP State leader Lalji Tandon, which led to stampede and loss of lives, Mr. Singhvi said Mr. Yadav would do well to remember what happened to the party after the general elections in 2004.

Even though the Assembly elections were due next year and technically the model code of conduct was not in force, the Government had "certainly violated the [code in] spirit." Also, campaigning for elections to local bodies was on in different parts of the State.

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