PTI
 
New Delhi, Dec 12: Congress tonight reacted sharply to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's demand for creation of smaller states by dividing UP, accusing her of "deliberately adding fuel to the Telangana fire".

"It does not behove a person holding the Chief Minister's post to make trivial and casual statements on an issue of national importance, deliberately trying to add fuel to the Telangana fire," Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

He said Telangana and other states were totally unconnected. "Mayawati would do well if she stopped acting irresponsibly. She should not poke fun at such serious issue," Singhvi said.

His reaction came after the UP Chief Minister sought the Centre's consent for the creation of separate Bundelkhand and western Uttar Pradesh states on the lines of Telangana.

"I have renewed the demand for smaller states through a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today to give consent to Uttar Pradesh as it has given to Andhra Pradesh for setting up a separate Telangana state," Mayawati said in Lucknow.

Another Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said the creation of new states should be need based and only for better administration and not to adjust some political parties which have failed to gained a foothold in the bigger states.