BJP members court mass arrest in MP

Bhopal, Feb 19 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party's Madhya Pradesh unit today staged sit-in and demonstrations at several locations in the state and members courted mass arrest against inflation and the Centre's ''erroneous'' economic policies.

A party release issued here claimed that lakhs of workers courted arrest. The principal figures were Indore -- 25,000, Bhopal, Ujjain, Sagar -- 10,000 each and Rewa -- 7,000. Memoranda addressed to President A P J Abdul Kalam were submitted to officials.

State Secretary Arvind Bhadoria and other leaders addressed a demonstration at the local Roshanpura crossing. They alleged that whenever the Congress assumed the reins at the Centre, inflation, artificial scarcity and corruption spurted.

A rally was taken from Indore's Rajwada to Gandhi Hall. Similar rallies were reported from Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Rajgarh, Katni and Sagar.

In Shajapur, BJP General Secretary and MP Thawarchand Gehlot alleged that over the past two years a country self-sufficient in foodgrain became dependent on import.

''Naxalism and terrorism witnessed a spurt,'' he added.

UNI