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Left MPs continue protest in Lok Sabha

Special Correspondent

Left MPs stage walkout in the Lower House
Kerala Congress(J) members join them in the protest

N.N. Krishnadas raised the issue of reduction of State’s rice quota in the Lok Sabha.

NEW DELHI: For the second day in a row, Left party members from Kerala disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha on Thursday over the reduction of the State’s quota of rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS). However, unlike on Wednesday, when they picketed the well through the day, they did not hold up proceedings for long. Instead, they walked out in protest against the ‘empty promises’ made by the government.

The issue was raised by N.N. Krishnadas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Stating that the Centre was discriminating against the people of Kerala by reducing its quota of rice through the PDS, he sought to point out the unfairness of such treatment given the fact that the State was food-deficit. Further, he accused the Centre of indulging in political vendetta. “This is a clear case of discrimination against the people,” he said and charged the Centre with not cooperating despite the issue being raised for the past several months.

He was supported by his Left colleagues and those from the Kerala Congress (J).

(According to a PTI report, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who had suspended CPI(M) member A.P. Abdullakutty for a day on Wednesday for waving a paper on the same issue, reminded the Left MPs to maintain decorum, but later commented that “I know that the elections are too near.”)

With the Kerala MPs insisting on a response from the government, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi pointed out that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had responded to the matter in the House earlier this week. The Minister added that their demand would be conveyed to the Prime Minister.

Dissatisfied with the response, the Kerala members first moved towards the well of the House shouting slogans and then decided to stage a walkout. Members of the Left parties from other States also joined them in the protest action.

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