Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati on Tuesday accused the Modi government of giving step-motherly treatment to flood-hit Kerala and demanded that the calamity be declared a “national disaster”.

In a statement, Ms Mayawati said that despite the magnitude of the crisis, the centre had not given adequate assistance to Kerala.

“The whole of Kerala and parts of Karnataka have been hit by floods and various organisations and individuals are helping the people in their own way but the Centre has not shown the sensitivity needed for the situation. The BJP is playing politics in the state,” she said.