Cong MLAs call off hunger strike over farmers issue, vacate assembly

Move triggered by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's intervention and offering juice to Opposition leader Satyadev Katare

Apparently avoiding legal action from the Government, Congress MLAs today called off their three-day long sit-in protest and hunger strike after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh intervened and offered juice to leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare. 

Singh said, "Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan isn't sympathetic with farmers, who are deeply depressed by hailstorms. He has not kept his promises made to farmers during this hour of crisis."

Since March 24, as many as 30 MLAs were protesting inside the assembly in support of recent hailstorm-hit farmers, demanding immediate release of compensation for them, though the Assembly is not in session.

Last evening Arvind Kumar Raghuvanshi, Security Director, State Assembly, issued a notice to the MLAs, asking them to vacate the premises which could not be used for political purpose since the House was not in session. The notice was issued to the Leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare, asking him and fellow members to vacate the campus immediately.

"Two MLAs, namely Umang Singhar and Madhu Bhagat, fell ill while observing hunger strike," Katare saidhere, "We have decided to call off the strike since this government was not listening to us. Now we will register door-to-door protest."

Katare however clarified that his fellow members have called off hunger strike neither because of the notice served to them nor to avoid legal action.

"We have decided to launch next phase of protest by approaching affected farmers and door-to-door campaign against government apathy", Katare said.

The members have been demanding immediate release of compensation to affected farmers, Rs 150 bonus for every quintal of wheat procured and waiver of electricity bills of those farmers who have single-point connections and irrigation pumps.

They have also asked the government to suspend all recoveries of loans.The Congress MLAs hd been protesting since March 24 after a day-long session in the assembly. The members staged a sit-in protest inside the Assembly and even stayed there for three days, though the House was adjourned sine-die.

Meanwhile stray incidents of farmers' protest have been reported on Indore-Bhopal road, close to Bhopal, where farmers and local Congress leaders staged Chakka-Jam. They alleged the government-run procurement centres are refusing to procure lusterless wheat despite the chief minister's assurance.

An official statement issued yesterday said quoting state chief minister Chouhan that the procurement centres has been asked to procure even lusterless wheat.

As many as 1.8 million farmers have registered themselves to come to procurement centres. The government has fixed up a target of procuring 10 million tonnes of wheat this season.