NDA walks out of LS, demanding Central intervention in WB

New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) The opposition NDA today staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha, demanding central intervention in West Bengal to check the continuing violence in Nandigram over the land acquisition controversy relating to the setting up of a Special Economic Zone there.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra (BJP) said three people were killed in Nandigram yesterday in violent incidents and a very serious situation was obtaining from ''state-sponsored terrorism'' in West Bengal.

Women were being raped and people killed and the toll in the continuing violence in Nandigram had gone up to 26, he said and added that such developments were frightening.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was responsible for all this and the Centre should have intervened in the state, he said.

Seeking Home Minister Shivraj Patil's response, Prof Malhotra asked, ''Will the Centre remain a mute spectator?'' As no response was forthcoming from the government, the BJP leader led the NDA members out of the House to protest against the attitude of the Centre.

The agitated members, however, returned to the House minutes later.

UNI