By IANS,
Lucknow : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday demanded that Uttar Pradesh be declared a drought-hit state and the central government announce special relief packages for its farmers.
“The prevailing monsoon conditions in the state are a perfect reason for the state to be declared drought hit. The farmers have not yet been able to sow the seeds of the kharif crops,” state BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi told reporters here.
He said the party is also concerned over the state government harassing people who have been protesting electricity outages and water shortage.
“The police is working at the behest of (ruling) Bahujan Samaj Party leaders and is harassing people. Be it the brutal action on the residents of Amethi who were demanding electricity or framing innocents under the SC/ST Act (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes),” Tripathi said.
He, however, declined to comment on state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s alleged derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Mayawati and her detention under the SC/ST Act.