BJP grills Mulayam govt over starvation deaths, 'forced suicides'

Lucknow, Nov 10 (UNI) The Opposition BJP today grilled the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh for the reported starvation deaths and ''forced farmers' suicides'', even as the ruling dispensation denied such incident in recent past.

The BJP members staged noisy scenes demanding speaker to take up their issues in the state assembly during zero hour and raised slogans from the well of the house.

Leader of the Opposition Lalji Tandon said at least 50 deaths of starvation and ''forced sucides'' were reported in the past two months mostly from Bundelkhand region.

''People are now selling their wives and children in return of foodgrains, while others are looting foodgrain godowns,'' he alleged.

The BJP leader further said the poor are now forced to eat 'grass chapatis' as the state government had stopped distribution of free foodgrains to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tiwari said the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sent a notice to the UP government over starvation deaths and ''forced suicides'' by the farmers and poor.

However denying the allegations, state revenue minister Ambika Choudhury said there was not a single case of starvation death in the state.

''The government received reports of 15 such incidents of which 7 were suicides. Of the 7 suicides, not a single one was found to be 'forced' due to pending loans or harassment,'' he claimed.

In another issue, state agriculture minister Ashok Bajpai said there was no shortage of seed and fertiliser for the Rabi season.

The issue was raised by BSP legislature party leader Swami Prasad Maurya alleging non-availability of seed and fertiliser in most of the districts leading to problems of farmers.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, however, said a one-hour discussion would be allowed in the House over the issue.

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