Yogi govt hiked cane support price ahead of polls for selfish motives, says BSP chief Mayawati

Mayawati alleged that the BJP government did not take concrete steps for the development of the classes to which it had given representation in the ministry expansion and had only stopped the schemes brought by her government earlier for the purpose.

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Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati, who extended support to a peaceful Bharat Bandh called by farmers against the Centre's three farm laws, alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government increased cane support prices ahead of the assembly elections for "selfish" motives.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief on Monday termed the cabinet expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government in the state an effort to mobilise voters on the basis of caste and warned the electorate against such designs. Notably, CM Adityanath announced a hike of Rs 25 per quintal in the purchase prices of sugarcane in the state on Sunday, a day ahead of a Bharat Bandh called by farmer unions.

The BSP chief tweeted (in Hindi), "The UP BJP government kept ignoring the farmers here for four and a half years and did not increase the support price of sugarcane, which I had pointed out during a conference of the enlightened classes in Lucknow on September 7. Now they have remembered sugarcane farmers just before elections which only shows their selfishness."

She further added, "The entire farmer society is sad and troubled by the anti-farmer policies of the Centre and the UP government, but increasing the support price of sugarcane now to save face before the elections is not the right solution to the basic problem of farming. In such a situation, farmers are not going to fall for any of their designs."

Mayawati has already extended support to the protest call.

On the state's cabinet expansion, she said, "Those who have been made ministers by the BJP to mobilise voters on the basis of caste in Uttar Pradesh should have declined it because by the time they are able to understand their respective ministries and want to do something, the model code of conduct would come into effect here."

Mayawati further alleged that the BJP government did not take concrete steps for the development of the classes to which it had given representation in the ministry expansion and had only stopped the schemes brought by her government earlier for the purpose.

In a related tweet, she said, "The present BJP government has not taken any concrete steps for the development and uplift of their society, even most of the works started by the BSP government in their interests have also been stopped. It is an advice to these classes to be alert of the BJP's double standards." 

The Adityanath on Sunday inducted seven ministers into his Council of Ministers, attempting to balance caste and regional aspirations. 

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav supports Bharat Bandh 

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the ruling BJP, which is not giving respect to farmers, has lost the moral right to remain in power. 

Expressing his support to the farmers' agitation against three agriculture laws of the Centre and their "Bharat Bandh" call, Yadav also claimed that the farmers' movement has started becoming a cause of disintegration within the BJP.

"Samyukta Kisan Morcha's 'Bharat Bandh' has full support of the SP. The arrogant BJP, which is not giving respect to the 'annadata' (farmers) of the country, has lost the moral right to remain in power. The farmers' movement has started becoming a cause of disintegration within the BJP," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi with the hashtag #BJP_Khatam (BJP finished).

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farmers' unions leading the 10-month-old agitation demanding a repeal of the three contentious farm laws, has given a call for the "Bharat Bandh" on Monday.

(With Agency Inputs)