The issue of price rise rocked Parliament for the fourth day today with an angry opposition seeking to censure the government in both the Houses which saw washout of most of the official agenda for the first week of the Monsoon Session.
The deadlock remained unresolved as a united opposition remained adamant on a discussion on price rise under rules which entail voting, despite Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar rejecting notices of adjournment motion on the issue.
Virtually no business was transacted during the entire week, barring parliamentary approval to President’s rule in Jharkhand and the government introducing certain bills including one on resolving differences between regulators in the financial market.
The opposition has been blaming the government for failure to control rise in prices, particularly of food items and petroleum products. The general inflation has remained in the double digit while prices of food items were increasing by 9.6 per cent.
For the fourth day running, an unrelenting opposition continued its vociferous protest on the issue of price rise leading to the adjournment of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
“We have been pressing for a debate on price rise for the past four days either under adjournment motion or Rule 184, but the government is adamant on not having a debate under any rule that entails voting,” Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha.
As NDA and Samajwadi Party members trooped into the well shouting slogans, Speaker Meira Kumar told Swaraj that her notice for discussion under Rule 184 was under her consideration.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the government had always favoured a debate and blamed the Opposition for not allowing it for the past four days. “They (Opposition) keep talking about rules, but we are ready for discussion,” he said.
In the din, the Speaker called for Question Hour prompting BJP members to troop to the Well and raise slogans against the government. She then adjourned the proceedings till noon.
After the House reassembled, papers were laid but the opposition members persisted with their protests in the Well and forced adjournment for the day.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha. The moment Chairman Hamid Ansari took up the listed questions, the entire Opposition led by BJP stood up protesting.
They were joined by most of the non-NDA opposition, including Left, AIADMK and even the BSP which gives outside support to the government.
With the Opposition refusing to relent, the House was adjourned till Monday after laying of papers.
