'Cong has done more than any party in drought-hit Bundelkhand'

Lucknow, Jan 29 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh Congress today criticised Chief Minister Mayawati for her outburst against the party in Jhansi that ''it had done little for drought-hit Bundelkhand region''.

Reacting to Ms Mayawati's remark that no party, especially the Congress, had taken any steps in the past several years in pulling out the region from the mess, UP Congress president Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi said here the party had set up several industrial units in the region. ''But, the units were shut down after the Congress lost power in the state in 1989.'' She claimed the Centre had provided the assistance of over Rs five thousand crore since 2007 under various heads to the state.

''Now it was up to the state government to show the people how much and where the amount was utilised...Uttar Pradesh is the biggest beneficiary of the Central assistance,'' Ms Joshi added.

Ms Joshi also refuted Ms Mayawati's claim that AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had spent a night in a predominantly Scheduled Caste village in Amethi to gain political advantage. ''If she considers it a drama, then I would suggest her to follow Mr Gandhi's footsteps and enact a similar drama. At least she would get in touch with the common man like the Amethi MP did,'' she added.

She said holding rallies at the government expenditure would not help the Bahujan Samaj Party get to the grass-root realities of the region. ''The rally was an effort to cover up the mistakes of the government,'' she claimed.

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