Uma Bharti addresses the public meeting at Zila School grounds in Bhagalpur on Wednesday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Oct. 3: Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti today emphasised on the need to introduce a bill in Parliament to free the Ganga of pollution.

Bharti, who is on Ganga Samagra Yatra from Ganga Sagar (Bengal) to Gangotri (Uttarakhand), entered Bihar yesterday from Sahabganj in Jharkhand.

Today, she addressed a mammoth rally at Zila School grounds here.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister lambasted the Centre for “promoting” foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail in India.

“Instead of changing the entire scenario in the country with foreign direct investment, the government should focus on Ganga. The river is a great source of income for millions in the country,” she said.

“FDI would ruin small farmers and businessmen. This government is ignoring the problems of Ganga, which would be extinct if not taken care of at the right time,” she added.

According to the crusader, more than 50 crore people in the country derive direct benefits from the Ganga.

“The river provides livelihood opportunities like fishery, irrigation facilities for agriculture, drinking water, medicinal plants and above all feeds religious sentiments with the Ganga Jal,” she said.

She blamed the Centre for the present condition of the river saying: “Rapid pollution and the hostile attitude of the government has put the river in danger. If the negligence continues, that day is not too far away when the river will meet the dead end.”

She suggested that the government should intervene immediately and sketch an action plan for the river, which has the potential to change the economic face of the country.

“All the members of the parliament should come forward for the special bill to declare the ailing river precious,” she said.

Bharati, who would conclude the Ganga Samagra Yatra in Gangotri on October 28, urged the people of Bihar to visit their nearest Ganga banks on November 2 and form a human chain. “Take the pledge to free Ganga of pollution,” she said.