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Mayawati has failed to mitigate problems of Bundelkhand: Rahul

JHANSI: With the critical situation in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh becoming a major political issue between the Congress and the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, the All India Congress Committee general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, presented a virtual chargesheet against the Chief Minister, Mayawati, on the plight of the people of the backward region of State.He said he would present his report card on Bundelkhand to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and United Progressive Alliance chairman Sonia Gandhi, and assured all possible help to the people of the drought-hit region of the State. Mr. Gandhi stated that the challenge of drought could only be overcome with the joint efforts of the people of Bundelkhand, the Central and State governments.

Mr. Gandhi made some terse comments on the failure of the Bahujan Samaj Party government to mitigate the sufferings of the people of the drought hit region. To drive home his point, the Congress Member of Parliament from Amethi requested the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to visit Bundelkhand for making an assessment of the situation on the ground and what her Government was doing to reduce the plight of the drought-hit people.Mr. Gandhi’s criticism of the Mayawati regime, coming in the wake of his visit to the villages of four Bundelkhand districts on Wednesday, represented the Congress Party’s new approach on the region. Addressing the Bundelkhand Rahat Vikas Rally (Bundelkhand Relief and Development Rally) against the backdrop of the historic Jhansi Fort of Rani Laxmibai here on Thursday, he bemoaned that around 200 farmers had committed suicide in the last eight months but the situation has remained unchanged.

(Ms. Mayawati assumed office eight months back in May 2007).

He claimed that in the past few years, over 2000 hunger deaths had occurred in the region.

Recalling what his father and former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, once said that out of 100 paise for development, only 15 paise went to the common man, Mr. Gandhi said from what he saw on Wednesday, he could say with conviction that in Bundelkhand not even five out of the 100 paise had reached the common man.

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