Centre meting out step motherly treatment to UP govt: Akhilesh Yadav

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today accused the BJP-led Centre of meting out step motherly treatment to his government and pursuing divisive policies as he rejected the charge of Muslim appeasement against his own dispensation, saying he was trying to create a balance in society.

"The situation could be gauged from the fact that of Rs 7,000 crores demanded for relief of farmers, who suffered losses from hailstorm and untimely rains, the Centre has agreed to Rs 2,800 crores and that too have not been released," he said when asked about relations of the state government with Centre.

"We have already disbursed Rs 3,500 crores to farmers from our own resources and will be getting much lesser amount. It's easy to play politics, but difficult to really work for the masses," Yadav told PTI in an interview.

Blaming BJP for following Britishers' "divide and rule" policy to grab power, Yadav asked the people to remain alert from such "divisive forces".

"They (BJP) are dividing the society. They raised issues like Love Jihad and Pink Revolution during elections and forgot them later. They are following Britishers divide and rule policy to grab power. It's need of the hour the people remain alert from such divisive forces," Yadav said.

"The revolt of 1857 also called first war of independence took place on emotional note and later Britishers used the same emotions to create divide and ruled the country... The same is being done now by BJP. But the situation has changed and people are alert to thwart such designs," the CM said.

About opposition's allegation that the SP government was engaged in Muslim appeasement, Yadav said his government was working to create "balance in the society".

"If we provide subsidy and other facilities for Haj, we have also initiated Samajwadi Shravan Yatra for elderly people in which they were not charged any money," the CM said rubbishing allegations.