Bharti attacks Cong on Muslim reservation in UP

BJP leader Uma Bharti today termed Congress' promise of providing nine per cent reservation to backward Muslims in Uttar Pradesh as "anti-constitutional", saying she would oppose the decision "tooth and nail"."Congress' promise to give nine per cent reservation to backward Muslims is anti-constitutional as it would create a wedge in the society on the basis of religion. We would oppose tooth and nail any such move on the roads and in the Parliament," she said here.Bharti lashed out at Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for accusing the BJP government in Uttarakhand of not utilising Central funds and alleged that the UPA government had a "discriminatory attitude"."The Central funds remain unutilised as the proposals sent by the state government were not given sanction in time due to their (UPA government's) discriminatory attitude against BJP governments. This had also happened when I was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh," she alleged.[caption id="attachment_191388" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="PTI"][/caption]The 52-year-old BJP leader also criticised Chief Minister Mayawati for proposing to increase the quota for Muslim community to 15 per cent if voted back to power."I also want to ask Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav whether they would encroach upon the rights of the Dalits and OBCs," Bharti said.Bharti asked Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh to come forward and tell people as to how the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre "showed the generosity in removing all hurdles for giving early sanction to the 1500-MW Indira Sagar power project".She also alleged that Congress had always saved its leaders who indulged in corruption, something which the BJP had never done."I would work for the cause of 'Gai, Garib, Nari and Ganga (Cow, the Poor, Women and river Ganga) after the elections are over," she said.Responding to a question on why she was contesting from Uttar Pradesh and not anywhere else, the BJP leader fighting for the Charkari Assembly seat in the upcoming polls, said, "I would also like to contest from Uttarakhand if given a chance."PTI