Mirzapur (UP): Opposing the creation of a
separate Poorvanchal state, senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh
on Tuesday said that carving out of a new state would not remove
backwardness of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
"Poorvanchal area of UP is a backward region and
creation of a separate state is no guarantee of removing its
backwardness," Singh told reporters here.
The former BJP president, however, supported the
creation of a separate Telangana state as it was a very old
demand.
Singh said that during the NDA rule three new states
-- Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand -- were created,
but their backwardness could not be removed till date.
"Creation of new states is not a guarantee of removing
regional imbalances, instead it only creates additional
financial burden. Therefore it is necessary that an integrated
action plan should be chalked out to remove regional
imbalances," he said.
Terming the Congress` policy on Telangana as "dirty
politics", the BJP leader said that at first it accepted the
demand in a bid to end the movement and then retracted.
"Now there would be a more intense agitation on this
issue which the Congress government would not be able to
handle," he warned.
PTI
