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‘Ajit Singh harmed movement for trifurcation of U.P.’

Lucknow: Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha (BMM) has accused Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader and votary of a separate Harit Pradesh, Chaudhary Ajit Singh of “harming” the movement for trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh by forming a coalition government with Samajwadi Party in 2003.

A national forum for smaller states was constructively working towards raising the demand for setting up smaller states when Ajit Singh, a major partner, joined hands with SP which had always opposed further division of the State, BMM President Raja Bundela said here.

“K. Chandrasekar Rao, raising the demand of Telangana was a partner in the Union government. So we were confident that concrete steps would be taken by the Centre for setting up smaller states. But Ajit Singh chose to side with the party which had always been opposing the demand leading to the disbanding of the forum,” Mr. Bundela said.

However, Mr. Bundela’s outfit, which had been working for a separate Bundelkhand State comprising seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and 22 of Madhya Pradesh, was not averse to joining hands with others, including Mr. Singh, for the cause of smaller states, he said.

The BMM leader said that he had already met leaders like Prakash Karat, Sharad Pawar and Laloo Yadav who were all in supportive of his demand.

Justifying his demand for a separate state, Mr. Bundela cited Panniker Committee report of 1955 which warned of majority of population turning beggars or dacoits if the region was not to be accorded a separate status.

“Almost 40 per cent of the population has migrated from the region as per an NGO survey and as many as five crore Bundelkhandis are without any kind of employment,” Mr. Bundela said. Farmer suicides have become very common, he added.

Mr. Bundela criticised Chief Minister Mayawati’s attempts to “pass the buck” on to the Union over the demand for a separate State. On Mayawati’s statement that State would bring a resolution for the purpose only if the Centre desired, he said the ruling Congress was of the view that the State should bring the resolution in the Vidhan Sabha and forward it to the Union government. — PTI

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‘Ajit Singh harmed movement for trifurcation of U.P.’

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