Meerut:

Countering Union minister Sanjeev Balyan’s suggestion that western Uttar Pradesh should be a separate state, former BJP MLA Sangeet Som on Tuesday said if this happens the region will become a “mini Pakistan”.

Instead, western UP should be merged with Delhi, Mr Som, a prominent BJP leader from the region, said.

Mr Som was reacting to the remarks made by Union Minister Balyan that western UP should become a separate state with Meerut as its capital.

“Union minister Sanjeev Balyan has floated the idea of making western UP a separate state. But this is not good for the future of western UP. If this happens, then western UP will become a mini Pakistan,” Som told reporters here.

Mr Som, the two-time MLA from Sardhana, also said that due to the increasing population of a particular community, Hindus will become minority in western UP if it becomes a separate state.

“Such a region will not develop, but the political scenario will definitely change,” he said.

However, Mr Som said that western UP should be made a part of Delhi. “It would be better that an initiative is taken to join western UP with Delhi,” the former BJP MLA said.

Speaking at the International Jat Parliament held here on Sunday, Union Minister Balyan had said, “Western Uttar Pradesh should become a separate state and Meerut should become its capital. The population of the region is eight crore and the high court is 750 kilometres from here. So, this demand is completely justified.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)