'PM ignoring starvation deaths'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 26. The Congress party today criticised the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, for dismissing reports of starvation deaths , as propaganda by the media. ``The occurrence of such deaths is a shame and ignoring it is a crime'' said party spokesperson, Mr. Jaipal Reddy.

The party also called on the Government not to adopt an ostrich- like attitude on the issue, and to move fast to provide a comprehensive plan to redeem the situation. ``There is no point in covering up on the pretext of false national pride'' said Mr. Jaipal Reddy.

The party also demanded the dismissal of the STC CMD, Mr. S.M. Dewan, after he was named in a FIR filed by the CBI, in the wheat import scandal. The case relates to the import of one million tonnes of wheat from Australia in 1996.

The decision to import from Australia was severely criticised in Parliament, forcing the Agriculture Minister, Mr. S.S. Barnala, to order an inquiry. However it took the CBI over tow years to file a FIR report and today this delay came in for criticism from the main opposition party. It accused the CBI of inordinate delay in investigating the case and filing the chargesheet. The party also asked the CBI to state clearly the time-frame in which it would file chargesheets against all those found guilty in the matter.

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