Ajit slams UP govt; but says still part of it

Lucknow, Sep 2 (UNI) Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) supremo Ajit Singh today slammed the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh on various issues, but maintained his party was still very much a part of the ruling coalition.

Talking to reporters on the forecourt of Raj Bhawan here, Mr Singh however declined to elaborate on the conversation he had with the Governor.

However to a poser, he slammed the UP government on the land acquisition policy. ''What is the need to acquire cultivable land from farmers for special economic zones and power projects, when plenty of barren land is lying vacant near Delhi.'' Mr Singh maintained the state government instead should buy land even from farmers through auction.

''On September 5, we would hold a rally near Dadri. The issue of land acquisition, power crisis and Harit Pradesh would top our agenda,'' he said.

He claimed RLD was still part of the government. Any decision on forming alliance after next elections would be taken by party workers,'' he added.

But at the same time, the former union minister skirted questions on hobnobbing with the Congress and possibilities of RLD snapping ties with the SP-led formation before the next assembly elections due early next year.

Reacting to the statement of Mr Singh, state Revenue minister and senior SP leader Ambika Chaudhury said in a democracy, anyone was free to hold protests and rallies. ''Our ideologies might be different, but RLD is till a part of the state government.'' On law and order, Mr Singh said the situation in UP was alarming.

''There have been assaults on police officials...criminals are roaming around with armed henchmen freely.'' He said the situation of power in the state was dismal. ''No one can claim the power situation in UP is satisfactory,'' he added.

Mr Singh has been advocating formation of Harit Pradesh by carving out parts of West UP.

However, the SP has opposed the demand openly terming a bigger UP was easy to manage, and the experiment of smaller states has failed.

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