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Legislators demand speedy creation of Chhattisgarh

Cutting across party lines, members of the Madhya Pradesh assembly today demanded the early creation of a separate Chhattisgarh state and holding elections in that region.

Participating in a debate on a resolution moved by Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Rajendra Prasad Shukla for carving out a separate Chhattisgarh state, Congress legislators said it was their leaders who had led the movement for statehood for Chhattisgarh. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party members, however, claimed that it was actually the efforts of the BJP that had borne fruit.

Amid slogans of 'Jai Chhattisgarh', the BJP members expressed gratitude to the A B Vajpayee government at the Centre for announcing statehood for Chhattisgarh in the national agenda.

Recalling the role played by the Congress, Shukla said an all-party forum was constituted in 1990, agitations were organised and rallies taken out to voice their demand for statehood to Chhattisgarh.

Besides himself, he said, other prominent leaders involved in the agitations were Khoobchand Baghl, Thakur Pyarelal Singh, Barrister Chedilal, Pawan Diwan, Hari Thakur and Suryakant Jha.

Reacting to leader of the opposition Vikram Varma's remarks that the Congress had in fact opposed the national agenda, which promised a separate Chhattisgarh state, Shukla said, ''It's a vast agenda which dwells on various issues. However, the announcement to create a separate Chhattisgarh has been warmly received by us and we are confident of getting it implemented''.

UNI

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