BJP walks out of Lok Sabha over Nandigram violence

The BJP today staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha protesting against the continued violence in Nandigram in West Bengal, where one person was killed yesterday.

BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, V K Malhotra demanded that the Centre send in its paramilitary forces in the state in order to curb violence in the state.

"The killings continue in Nandigram and it is a matter of grave concern to everyone. It is obvious that the state government has not been able to control violence and the Centre should intervene in the matter," said Malhotra, even as CPM members tried to shout him down.

Coming to his Left colleagues' rescue was the CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta, who raised a point of order saying that law and order was a state subject and should not be discussed in Parliament. At this, Malhotra and his BJP colleagues staged a walkout.

Adhir Choudhary, Congress MP from West Bengal, joined ranks with the BJP in demanding that the Centre intervene in the Nandigram matter. "Women and children have been killed mercilessly and farmers uprooted from their land," he said, while the opposition staged a walkout.

Later, Mohammad Selim of the CPM defended the state government outside Parliament. He said the previous day's violence had proven the fact that the violence now had nothing to do with land acquisition, a chemical hub or even the CPM cadre.

"Certain elements of the Trinamool Congress party are playing havoc in the area by inciting violence in Nandigram. It is in fact a member of the CPM who was killed yesterday," he said.

"The matter is under control and the state government is on top of things," he said. He denied that the government had anything to do with the violence that occurred in Nandigram yesterday.