M A I N   N E W S

7 die, 50 hurt as cops fire on flood-hit
Santosh Jha

Patna, August 7
Lack of relief material, delay in its distribution and alleged irregularities in its distribution has made the scenario tense in the flood-affected areas of Bihar. The anger of the affected masses led to clash with the police force in Aurai block that ‘forced’ the cops of the police station to resort to gunfire resulting in the death of at least seven persons. Around 50 persons are reported injured in the gunfire and the melee that ensued as the cops fired 35 rounds to disperse the unruly mob.

Tension prevails in the Aurai block following the Monday evening incident and the district administration of Muzaffarpur is maintaining tight vigil to prevent any untoward incident. The flood relief distribution has been witnessing tussles and skirmishes in the flood-affected Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur districts. Day before yesterday there were clashes between the villagers that left ten injured, three of them critically. The killing of seven persons in the flood-affected area has sparked off a row and the opposition parties have been demanding the government to quit. The police force also is in the line of political fire as it is being alleged that cops had earlier handled the complaints of irregularities in relief distribution with usual high-headedness. The opposition has demanded the resignation of Rabri government on the killings of innocent flood victims. 

LS adjourned amid turmoil
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7
The Lok Sabha today plunged into turmoil as angry members from ruling as well as opposition benches repeatedly stormed the well on various issues, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for an hour.

For the second consecutive day, members from Bihar, mostly from the ruling benches, including the Samata Party, trooped into the well protesting against the police firing on flood-hit people at Aurai in north Bihar seeking relief from the government in which a dozen of them were reportedly killed and several injured.

Samata Party member Raghunath Jha said the RJD government had “totally failed” to provide relief to the affected people and requested Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi to direct the Agriculture Minister to make a statement on the “deteriorating” flood situation in Bihar.

Mr Jha also demanded payment of compensation to families of those killed and injured.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who wanted to raise the issue of communal tension in Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh as he could not do so yesterday and the Congress was able to do so in the House yesterday, was unable to speak in the ensuing melee and confusion.

Finding their leader in such a situation, Samajwadi Party members trooped into the well holding the BJP responsible for the communal situation in Muzaffarnagar.

Many BJP members from Uttar Pardash too came near the well and tried to counter them.

The Samajwadi Party members were soon joined by the RJD members including their leader Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh who alleged that the Centre was discriminating in the allocation of funds to the state for floods. Not a single paisa had been given by the Centre so far to mitigate the sufferings of the flood-hit people, he alleged.