Minister feasts on chicken as flu keeps it off others' plate

Kolkata, Jan 24 (UNI) West Bengal Transport Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader Subhas Chakrabarty today claimed that he had been eating chickens regularly despite the fear of bird flu in the state.

''Lakhs of hens and chickens have been destroyed merely out of fear while the concerned market has also suffered a lot,'' Mr Chakrabarty said while interacting with members of the North 24 Parganas Truck Owners and Drivers Association at Dakshineshwar near here.

''None of my physicians have advised me against eating chickens, then why are birds being killed or destroyed at random,'' he asked.

''Of course, the situation has helped me getting chickens in the market at a low price and I'm taking advantage of it,'' he quipped.

UNI XC PL SY AS1904