Lucknow, Nov 22 (IANS) Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who celebrated his 71st birthday Sunday, said the Rs.7,266 crore special package by the central government was insufficient for drought relief and agricultural development of the Bundelkhand region.
“The central government-announced fund is not enough for the drought-hit region. The region needs an additional special grant for development,” Mulayam Singh said addressing some 500 of his party workers who gathered at the party headquarters for the celebrations.

Mulayam Singh asked his party workers to reach out to the rural population to strengthen the party at the grass root level.

He told them that demonstrating on roads and courting arrest in large numbers cannot be termed a revolution.

“We should reach out to the rural and poor population and make them aware of education and employment,” he said.

“There are educated people in rural and poor areas and we need them to build a stronger base for the party,” he added.

The former chief minister also warned the Congress-led central government of similar protests like the one in New Delhi to demand a better deal for sugarcane farmers.

“The state is having a huge quantity of standing paddy crops and the central government is still planning to import rice. We will again head for Delhi and hold a similar demonstration if the government goes ahead with its plan,” Mulayam Singh said.

Earlier in the day, he cut a 71 kg cake brought by his supporters. Even after he left the party office at around 1 p.m., his supporters continued to dance and celebrate.

But his son Akhilesh Yadav and party general secretary Amar Singh were not present. Mulayam Singh was accompanied by his younger brother Shivpal Yadav and other state party leaders.