Nahri (Haryana): Continuing with his offensive against the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M Venkaiah Naidu on September 28 charged the main Opposition party with dividing the country into "affluent urban India and deprived rural Bharat" in the almost five decades of its rule.

Addressing a gathering at this village in Sonepat district as part of its ongoing 'gaon chalo abhiyan' (back to villages campaign), Naidu said to redress this "imbalance" caused by the Congress, Centre has decided to devote 60 per cent of its funds towards rural development.

Criticising Congress for indulging in "dynastic rule", he said that the BJP was not personality-centric but ideology oriented with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the rallying point for the diverse constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Naidu said that the Centre has allocated a whopping Rs 6,000 crore for connecting every village having a population over 5,000 with roads.

"A kisan credit card is also planned to be serviced through banks with life insurance facility with a meagre annual premium of Rs 5 to be paid by the farmer," he said.

For the drought-affected farmers, Rs 4,000 crore have been earmarked for kisan bonus. "If crops fail for two successive years, one year's interest may be waived on loans," he said.

Minister of State for Home I D Swami, BJP vice-president Harshvardhan, state party chief Rattan Lal Kataria and local MP Kishan Singh Sangwan were also present on the occasion.

The party has launched the campaign with a view to expand its base and rejuvenate its cadres in the rural areas ahead of the coming Assembly elections.

PTI