Scindia calls Chouhan''s fast a "drama"

Indore, Feb 13 (PTI) Union Minister of State,Jyotiraditya Scindia described the Madhya Pradesh ChiefMinister Shivraj Singh Chouhan''s fast, which was to starttoday in Bhopal, as "drama".

The fast, for protesting Centre''s alleged apathy towardthe State, was called off few minutes after it started.

But last night, Scindia said here, "The State leadershipshould take the measures to provide relief to the farmerswhose crops have been damaged by recent frost and cold-wave,but I am surprised that the Chief Minister will undertake afast."

"Everybody knows that this is a "Nautanki"," the UnionMinister of State for Commerce and Industries remarked.

A day before the bypolls in Kukshi and Sonkatchassembly constituencies, the Chief Minister''s move shows thatthe situation in Madhya Pradesh had gone out of his control,Scindia said.

Accusing Chouhan of shrugging off the responsibility,Scindia said that the Chief Minister always pointed fingers atthe Centre whenever he was confronted with a problem.

"You (Chouhan) should step down from the ChiefMinister-ship if you want to play the role of the opposition,"he said.

The Union Minister also alleged that the State governmentwas misusing the financial package given by the Centre forfarmers.

"The family members of the officials and MLAs are gettingcompensation chequesj, " Scindia alleged.