File Photo: BSP chief Mayawati (Press Trust of India)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, today, asked her party MPs and MLAs that instead of donating to the government, they should give as relief their one month salary directly to farmers affected by recent unseasonal rains and hailstorm in their respective constituencies.
"The farmers are going through a bad phase due to unexpected rain and hailstorm, but despite reports of suicides the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government were involved only in paperwork," Ms Mayawati alleged in a statement in Lucknow.
She directed the BSP MPs and MLAs that instead of donating their one month salary through government medium, they should provide the same directly to the families of such farmers as
relief in their respective areas.
"The MPs and MLAs have been directed to distribute relief immediately so that farmers are not forced to commit suicide in lack of assistance by the Centre and the state government," she said.
The BSP chief said in the first phase of countrywide agitation, demanding adequate assistance to the farmers, a day-long dharna and demonstration would be held in all districts of Uttar Pradesh on April 27.
She said it was surprising that while farmers were facing crisis here and were forced to commit suicide, Prime Minister and UP Chief Minister were visiting foreign countries.
Ms Mayawati alleged that even immediate relief was not provided to the farmers.
"Instead of following 'Rajdharma' PM Narendra Modi was forcing his MPs to propagate his foreign trips. Like the Congress-government, overall economic policies of Modi Government seemed to have failed in removing problems like poverty, unemployment and inflation," she alleged.
Earlier, senior Cabinet minister Shivpal Yadav had announced to donate his month's salary for relief of farmers suffering from losses due to unseasonal rains and appealed all ministers and Samajwadi Party legislators to do the same.