The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress questions Uma's absence

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Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Congress questions Uma's absence

By Our Staff Correspondent

The former Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, and the Leader of the Opposition, Jamuna Devi, along with the party MLAs demonstrating outside the Assembly hall in Bhopal on Tuesday. Photo: A.M. Faruqui

BHOPAL, JULY 27. The Madhya Pradesh Assembly witnessed noisy scenes today as the Congress party legislators, led by the Leader of the Opposition, Jamuna Devi, protested in the well of the House for the third consecutive day and staged a walk out boycotting the entire day's proceedings.

Soon after question hour, the Congress MLAs rushed to the well of the House and raised slogans directed against the Chief Minister, Uma Bharti. They were protesting against her continuous absence from Assembly and demanding an apology from her for "casting aspersions" and making certain remarks against the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi at a press conference here last week.

On the issue of the Chief Minister's absence from the House, the Speaker told the agitated members that he

had received intimation that she was not well and would not be attending the session till July 30, the last day of the current Budget session.

Later talking to newspersons, the Opposition Leader said that when she rang up the Chief Minister's residence to seek an appointment, along with other Congress MLAs, to enquire about her health, the staff responded that an appointment was not possible till 2.30 p.m. as Ms. Bharti was busy meeting the common people. If she was in a position to meet the public what was holding the Chief Minister from attending the Assembly, Ms. Devi quipped.

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