New Delhi: The issue of price rise rocked Parliament on Tuesday with an agitated opposition forcing adjournment of both the Houses by pressing for discussion on the issue under motions which entail voting, a move rejected by the Government.
Almost the entire opposition was united on the issue in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, with the BJP and the Left parties as also several non-Congress parties making a common cause like in the July 5 Bharat Bandh following the fuel price hike.
With Government and the Congress already declaring that it was against an adjournment motion on the issue in the Lok Sabha and under a rule in Rajya Sabha which also entails voting, the battle lines were complete in Parliament.
As a tactical measure, the opposition parties in the Lok Sabha focussed on increase in prices of kerosene and LPG in their adjournment motions in an apparent bid at oneupmanship over the treasury benches which was contending that price rise was an ongoing thing and therefore no adjournment motion could be admitted.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said the hike in fuel prices has disturbed the budget of the common man and the entire opposition has come together to demand a discussion on the issue and a number of opposition members have submitted adjournment motions on the issue.
"Accept our adjournment motions and allow a discussion on the issue," she said pointing out that even some parties supporting the government have made common cause with the opposition.
Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD's Lalu Prasad, whose parties are supporting the Government, stormed the well protesting against price rise.
Trinamool Congress, which is the second largest party in the UPA, also wanted a discussion. Party chief whip Sudip Bandhyopadhyay said outside Parliament that his party was for discussion on the issue but was against Opposition's demand for a debate under a rule that entails voting.
Both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha witnessed adjournments for an hour soon after they assembled for the day, the Upper House called it a day soon after 12 PM.
The discussion has been demanded at a time when food inflation has been hovering around 12.47 per cent and general inflation at 10.55 per cent.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice before lunch. The House adjourned for an hour minutes after it met for the day and then till 2.00 PM, when it finally adjourned for the day.
SP and RJD members stormed the well shouting slogans like 'Jo Sarkar Nikammi Hai, woh Sarkar Badalani Hai (we have to change the government, which is incompetent).'
BJP and other opposition members were on their feet protesting against price rise.
As the members refused to relent even after the House resumed during Zero Hour, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the Lok Sabha till 2.00 PM amid vociferous demands for a discussion on the issue of price rise from opposition parties and even some of those supporting the government.
In the Lok Sabha, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora made a suo motu statement on the hike in fuel prices in which he said that the increase in price of domestic LPG by Rs 35 per cylinder is likely to increase the daily expenditure by less than Rs one.
Similarly, the increase in price of kerosene by Rs 3 per litre is expected to increase the daily expenditure on Kerosene for an average rural household only by less than 50 paise.
In the Rajya Sabha, soon after new members took oath or affirmation, the entire Opposition was up on its feet raising the issue of price rise.
The BJP-led NDA was joined by Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and AIADMK in vociferously raising the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities particularly domestic cooking gas LPG and PDS kerosene. PTI
