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Walkout over M.P. `starvation death'

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, FEB. 25. Congress members, led by the leader of the Opposition, Jamuna Devi, staged a walk-out and boycotted the day's proceedings in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly here today to protest against an alleged starvation death in Chhindwara district.

There were noisy scenes as Congress members protested and shouted slogans when the Speaker refused permission for a discussion on the reported starvation death and some other issues raised through separate adjournment motions.

Soon after the commencement of the zero hour this morning, the Opposition leader raised the issue of starvation death in the Parasia area of Chhindwara district and demanded an immediate discussion. The Speaker was critical of the manner in which the Congress members were trying to raise the issue and invited them to his chamber for a discussion.

The latter refused to heed the advice and rushed to the well of the House shouting slogans. Addressing newspersons later, Ms. Jamuna Devi said the State Government was running away from a debate in the House.

In a counter offensive, the Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, told reporters that the allegation of starvation death "was only a political stunt". She rejected the demand for a probe saying there had been no such death in Chhindwara.

Asked to respond to the protest rally organised by the Congress here today, Ms. Bharti asked "what else can we expect from those in the Congress." Regarding the violent incidents in Jhabua and Vidisha districts, she said the district administration and police authorities had taken taken swift action to restore normalcy at both places.

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