‘Won’t eat cereals till Centre acts on Ganga’

Indian Express; Friday, July 01, 2011,

Lucknow : Launching her ‘Save Ganga campaign’ in Garhmukteshwar in Ghaziabad district on Thursday, BJP leader Uma Bharti announced that she would not eat cereals and survive only on fruits until the Centre constituted a board to review all projects made for checking pollution in the river.

Alleging irregularities in the implementation of these projects, Uma said an inquiry into the expenditure of funds received for these projects was necessary. Expressing concern over the condition of river, she said that devotees had started avoiding performing rituals in the river because of the pollution.

Uma said she would file RTI applications to get information about the funds released for Ganga cleaning project and their utilisation. She said the BSP government should pay attention towards controlling pollution of Ganga. She also targeted the Mayawati government over the deteriorating law and order and corruption in the state. She also alleged irregularities in awarding of mining contracts.

During the campaign, which will last about a fortnight, Uma will travel along the Ganga in UP, Bihar and Bengal, and address meetings, seminars to create awareness about the pollution threat to the river and the steps needed to save it.

Reacting to her allegations, the BSP termed the BJP’s Ganga Yatra a political gimmick. A party spokesperson said the BJP was raising the issue of river Ganga with an on the 2012 Assembly polls. The spokesperson questioned why BJP did not launch such a campaign during its governments in the Centre, UP and other states.

The BSP said a sadhu had died on June 13 in Dehradun after four months of fast-unto-death because the BJP government in Uttarakhand refused to take steps to check illegal mining along the river. The BJP should first ask its government in Uttarakhand to take steps for improving the condition of the Ganga in that state.

The spokesperson said that the BSP government was committed to keeping Ganga and other rivers in the state clean and pollution- free.