The Hindu : National : Mayawati reiterates support for trifurcation of U.P.

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Mayawati reiterates support for trifurcation of U.P.

Special Correspondent

“Letter in this regard has been sent to Prime Minister”

— Photo: Subir Roy

Paying homage: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati, paying floral tributes to founder of the party Kanshi Ram on his 74th birth anniversary in Lucknow on Saturday. Also seen are Speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar and Satish Chandra Mishra .

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday reiterated her government’s support for trifurcation of the State and said a letter had been sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for creating three States of Purvanchal, Bundelkhand and Western Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing party workers on the occasion of the 74th birth anniversary celebration of Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram at the party headquarters here, the Chief Minister said the letter was written on Saturday. Ms. Mayawati said this in reference to the Prime Minister’s statement in Varanasi on Friday asking the State government to take the initiative for the formation of the separate State of Purvanchal.

The Chief Minister released the English version of her book, “A Travelogue of My Struggle-Ridden Life and Bahujan Movement, Part 1 and 2”. The treatise, in the form of an autobiography, recounts her experiences as a politician, as well as the Bahujan movement.

Later, presiding over the Kanshi Ram Birth Memorial function in the City Montessori School auditorium, the Chief Minister unveiled projects, including 74 bridges worth Rs. 215 crore and 31 urban water supply schemes costing about Rs.41 crore. Ms. Mayawati also laid the foundation stone for a Tourism Management Institute and an Environment Bhavan, both named after the BSP founder.

Describing Kanshi Ram as the biggest “messiah” of the dalits and the downtrodden, after Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Ms. Mayawati said the BSP founder devoted his life towards the betterment of the underprivileged sections. He instilled a feeling of pride and self-confidence in them, she added. She said the credit for the formation of the present government with absolute majority went to the party’s founder.

Awards given

On the occasion, the Chief Minister conferred the Kanshi Ram International Sports Award on speedster Praveen Kumar, who was given a cheque for Rs.10 lakh. India Under-19 cricket team members, Tanmay Srivastava and Iqbal Abdullah, were given Rs.5 lakh each. Awards for culture, social change, women empowerment, essay and painting, named after Kanshi Ram, were also given away by the Chief Minister.

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