Monday, November 28 2005 12:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Criticising the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) govt at the Centre for being 'insensitive' to the problems of the people of Tamil Nadu, who have been affected by heavy rains, the BJP today (Nov 28, 2005) demanded that the union government sanction Rs 3000 crore, as sought by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, for relief work.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, deputed by party President L K Advani to visit flood affected areas, told reporters before leaving for Cuddalore that the devastation in the state was 'massive' and that the Centre should sanction financial aid without waiting for the report of the Central team, to be deputed to assess the damage.

"The Centre should help the state in a big way," he said. Unlike the previous spell of rain in the second fortnight of October, the rains this time had caused extensive damage to crops and infrastructure, he said.

Earlier, inaugurating a training camp for the BJP's minority Morcha volunteers, he said his party was opposed to reservation on the basis of religion, as it would lead to a division of the country.

He said the BJP wanted to attract more minorities into its fold, not for vote bank politics, but to help them in their development.

Most of the minorities were in abject poverty and the Congress, which was at the helm of affairs at centre for long, owed an answer to them for their position, he said. He also demanded a uniform civil code and scrapping of Article 370 from the Constitution.