CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan ends hunger strike after 20 minutes only!

The shortest hunger strike was seen on Sunday when Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan went on a fast on Sunday morning protesting the Centre’s alleged negligence towards the state.

He was angry with the Centre for not releasing a relief package for farmers whose crops were affected by frost.

But, after 20 minutes Chouhan called off the strike by saying that "on the assurance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that all issues concerning Madhya Pradesh will be sorted out soon, and the advice of BJP Central leadership, I am calling off this fast launched in support of the farmers whose crops have been affected by frost and on several other issues," he told party workers at Dusshera Maidan in Bhopal.

Chouhan said that the Prime Minister also told him that he has authorised a Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to hold discussions with the state and that the first meeting will be held on February 20 in New Delhi.

Chouhan mentioned the demands such as provision of adequate coal for power generation in the state, allocation of funds under Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) and supply of food grains for BPL families.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said he told the Prime Minister that till date no Central team had visited the state for assessing damage to crops due to the frost.

Chouhan also demanded that for the purpose of relief under crop insurance scheme, individual farmers, instead of a particular region should be treated as a unit.

BJP had made elaborate arrangements for the fast, installing facilities for the secretariat staff, and for holding Cabinet meeting at the venue. Huge tents had been put up.

Senior BJP leaders including the party’s national general secretaries, Thavar Chand Gehlot and Narendra Singh Tomar, former Chief Ministers Sunderlal Patwa, Kailash Joshi and Babulal Gaur, former Union Minister Sumitra Mahajan and the state BJP president Prabhat Jha were present on the occasion.

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