By IANS
New Delhi : As many as 203 farmers have committed suicides till November 2007 in various parts of the Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh due to acute famine, said Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadasv here Wednesday.
Sharad Yadav, who along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh addressed a joint rally of Bundelkhand Bachao Morcha, blamed both the central and the Uttar Pradesh governments for the current plight of the people of Bundelkhand.
“I demand that this area be declared a famine-hit area,” he said, exhorting the government to “give Rs.500,000 each to the families of those who have committed suicide”.
The JD-U leader severely criticised UP Chief Minister Mayawati, saying: “The poor who voted her are dying. She says if you make me the prime minister, I will give you Bundelkhand state.”
Attacking Mayawati further, Yadav said: “She is misusing her Dalit status. For her, the main issue is getting SPG (state-sponsored security cover). She is blaming the centre, and the centre is blaming the previous NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government. How long can you blame past governments?”
Yadav also criticised Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who recently visited Bundelkhand, and said: “He should do something. When you are in government, you have to act, you cannot behave like the opposition.”