Raipur, Feb 26 (UNI) Congress members today staged a walkout in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, alleging that the government failed to check a spurt in murders in tribal Bastar region where naxals have a strong presence.

Replying to a question by Ms Renu Jogi (Cong), Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam admitted that -- compared to 2005 -- there was a 20.14 per cent increase in cases of murder in 2006 because of the rise in insurgent activity.

He said that 51 cases of murder and 70 of rape were reported from Bastar district while 53 murders and 14 rapes were reported from Dantewada district last year.

Mr Netam said that besides district police, 80 companies of central paramilitary forces were deployed in Bastar region and the government had requested the Centre to allocate ten more companies to counter the extremists. He attributed the increase in murders to retaliation by ultras against those participating in 'Salwa Judum' -- the ongoing anti-naxal movement in Bastar.

As the Minister said that the rebels were ''massacring'' the people, Mr Nandkumar Patel (Cong) said that the government lost its moral right to continue in office when the Minister himself was stating on the floor of the House that people were being massacred in Bastar. Later, the Congress members staged the walkout.

UNI