Centre wants to delay UP division: Mayawati

Taking exception to the central government's decision to return the proposal for division of Uttar Pradesh into four parts, chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday accused it of trying to shirk responsibility on the issue for political reasons. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow barely a few hours after receiving a letter from the central government, Mayawati said it was a "blatant violation of constitutional provisions" and aimed at "dillydallying" the all-important issue.

Referring to the union home secretary's letter with as many as eight key queries relating to modalities for sharing of finances and assets of the parent state, Mayawati called them a "deliberate roadblock".

Mayawati sought to point out it was the ultimate prerogative of the centre to create a new state.

“Nowhere does the Indian constitution say that the process of carving out a new state has to be initiated by a state government or by the assembly of the concerned state assembly,” she said.

“The national parliament is fully empowered to suo motu initiate the creation of a new state and after passing such a resolution it has to be sent to the president, who may seek the opinion of the concerned state legislature,” she said.

Mayawati even cited the provisions of Article 3 of the Indian Constitution: "Parliament may by law form a new state by separation of territory from any state or by uniting two or more states or parts of states or by uniting any territory to a part of any state.” 

The article says, "Parliament can also increase or decrease the area of any state as also alter the boundaries or even the name of any state in the country.”

Further pointing out that the constitution also provides for initiating the entire process by the president too, she said, "Fact remains that the state government has no role to play in the creation of another state; and it was amply evident that by shooting off such a letter and raising irrelevant queries, the central government is simply trying to shirk its responsibility."

Citing the case of the formation of Uttarakhand, Mayawati urged the centre to follow the same process.

"Let me remind the central government that the resolution for formation of Uttarakhand was passed by the state legislature on April 24, 1997, and forwarded to the central government, which in turn returned it to the state legislature together with a letter from the president, following which a resolution was formally adopted by the state legislature March 30, 2000," she pointed out.

Mayawati had Nov 21 managed to get a resolution passed by the state assembly for division of the state into four smaller states - Purvanchal in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Paschim Pradesh in the west, Avadh Pradesh in the centre and Bundelkhand in the south.

According to her, "The dilly-dallying tactics adopted by the centre has made it clear they are just not serious about the issue and are simply trying to pass the buck to the state government for obvious political reasons."

"Right from day one when the BSP government was formed in 2007, I have been pursuing the issue with the prime minister, to whom a few letters were also written by me in this regard. However, since the centre never cared to pay any heed to our repeated appeals, we were left with no choice but to initiate the process by formally getting a resolution passed by the state assembly and then forwarding it to the central government."

'Elephant' giving nightmares to Rahul: Mayawati

Scaling up her war of words with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, UP chief minister Mayawati on Sunday said the party was scared of being "trampled" under the feet of the elephant, the ruling BSP's poll symbol. "The Congress is getting nervous because its mass base is shrinking. The 'yuvraj' (Rahul Gandhi) had to skip the ongoing session of Parliament and indulge in various 'natakbaazi' (theatrics) to resurrect the party in UP," she said.

During the five-day Jan Sampark Yatra, which concluded on Saturday, the Congress general secretary had said: "There is an elephant sitting in Lucknow and this elephant is eating your (people's) money. This time the people of UP have decided to throw away this elephant."

Referring to the symbols of the Congress (hand), the BJP (lotus) and the SP (cycle), she said: "Chalega haathi, udegi dhool, na rahega panja, na chalegi cycle, na rahega phool (the elephant will move on triumphantly, the hand, cycle and lotus will be swept away by the dust raised).

Addressing a Dalit-backward workers' conference at Ramabai Ambedkar maidan, she said, "Gandhi told the people if voted to power the Congress would make UP the number one state in the country. The Congress ruled UP for 40 years. Due to poverty and backwardness, there was large migration during this period. Today Rahul calls these migrants beggars. If the Congress could not make UP a developed state in its 40 years' rule, how will Rahul accomplish the task in 10 years?"

Replying to Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh's allegation of irregularities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS) in UP, Mayawati said: "Under the MGNREGS, people are getting 100 days' job a year and stay unemployed for 265 days. If the BSP secures power at the Centre, I will get the law amended to pave the way for 365 days' job to the unemployed."

On Day 2 of UP yatra, Rahul Gandhi targets Mayawati again, says Centre's funds not reaching poor

  On Day 2 of his Uttar Pradesh yatra, Rahul Gandhi once again took on Chief Minister Mayawati. Addressing a rally in Bahraich district, he alleged that the Centre's funds were being siphoned-off in the state. "Centre's funds meant for the poor in the state are not reaching them," he said. He then added that Mayawati "does not bother about" what was happening in her state.

Targeting the UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi also said that they have "forgotten about the people after becoming big leaders and they don't feel for them".

"They (Mayawati and Mulayam) have become big leaders. They can travel in helicopters. But they do not feel angry now when they see sufferings. They do not feel anything when farmers' land is taken away. I have learnt many things from Mulayamji. But he does not come to you. His anger (against injustice) is over," he added.

The Congress General Secretary started his Jan Sampark Yatra from Barabanki yesterday, where he explained his controversial remark on Uttar Pradesh migrants "begging for work in other states."

At a rally in Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh a week ago, Mr Gandhi had told the thousands that had gathered that their state was regressing under the leadership of "the mafia" who runs the state. "How long will you beg in Maharashtra (for work)? How long will you work as a labourer in Punjab? It will take only five years and the change will come," he said, asking the crowd to give the Congress "a chance for five years."

The statement drew flak from almost all political quarters including Congress's ally NCP. Explaining his remarks, Mr Gandhi said yesterday, "People sat in studios and criticised me, but I will ask them to speak to the children on the traffic signals. They will tell you that they are from UP."

Emphasising that his party wanted to change Uttar Pradesh for the better, Mr Gandhi said he was angry that the state was lagging behind when other parts of the country were moving ahead at brisk pace.

"People from UP are going to Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi. You drive a taxi in Maharashtra, you build roads and metro in Delhi...our state is now lagging behind. We have to bring it back on track," he said.

Mr Gandhi is on a five-day yatra in UP. He will next visit Shravasti, Siddharth Nagar and Kushinagar and meet party workers. (With PTI inputs)