Oppn members stage walkout over Indore petrol scam

Bhopal, Mar 9 (UNI) Opposition Congress today staged a walkout in the Madhya Pradesh assembly over the ''Indore Petrol scam,'' which is being investigated by the CBI.

As Mr Sajjan Singh Verma (Congress) raised the issue during Question Hour, Minister of State for Home Nagendra Singh said the CBI, which is handling nine cases, had returned the other two cases saying that investigation in the cases must be carried out by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

The assembly witnessed heated exchange and acrimonious debate between the Congress and the BJP over which party took initiative for getting a CBI probe into the scam -- that came into light during the previous Congress regime.

Former Chief Minister Babulal Gaur said the BJP Government had taken the initiative to get the scam investigated by the CBI, while Mr Verma claimed that the then Chief Minister Digvijay Singh had taken the initiative.

Speaker Ishwardas Rohani expunged several comments made during the heated exchange between the two sides.

In response to demand by several members, Mr Singh read out the name of 16 accused against whom cases have been registered in various police stations under the Prevention of Black Marketing Act and the Essential Commodities Act.

Congress members led by Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi, dissatisfied over the reply, staged a walkout.

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