Cong demonstrates against anti-people policies of Mayawati govt

Lucknow, Oct 25 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh Congress today organised state-wide demonstrations against the 'anti-people' policies of the Mayawati government.

Newly-appointed UP Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi led the demonstrations in her home town of Allahabad by chagring the Bahujan Samaj Party government with neglecting the plight of the common man.

''We have seen elephant consuming sugarcane...but in UP the elephant is consuming the cane farmer,'' she said attacking the BSP.

Incidentally, elephant is the election symbol of the BSP.

The UPCC president claimed that while on one hand people were starving to death, the state government was wasting public money on beautifying parks and memorials. ''The Centre has allowed sugar mill owners in the state to add 5 per cent ethnol (a byproduct derived after crushing sugarcane) in petrol. This would give them a profit of Rs 1000 crore...still they are not paying dues of cane farmers and the state government was maintaning silence,'' she alleged.

During the demonstration, Congress leaders handed over memoranda to the district authorities addressed to the Governor highlighting the plight of the common man in the state.

She demanded release of all dues to the cane farmers in the next 48 hours.

''Due to the mismanagement of affairs, UP stands at 21st position in the national human development index...people are dying of starvation and diseases like Japanese Encephalitis but the government is not taking effective steps,'' she added.

In the state capital, Congress workers gathered at the collectorate. The demonstrators here also raised the issue of ban on student union elections in the state and demanded that they be held as per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh committee recommendations.

UNI