Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 3 (IANS) An angry opposition stalled the functioning of parliament Wednesday, forcing two adjournments of both houses as MPs demanded that the hike in fuel prices be rolled back and that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh make a statement on the issue.
The trouble in both houses began as they assembled after a four-day Holi break.

In the Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party (SP) members went up to the speaker’s podium shouting slogans against the fuel price rise, with the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members following suit.

Speaker Meira Kumar, sensing the mood of the MPs, quickly adjourned the house for an hour.

However, as soon as the house re-convened at noon, opposition MPs were again on their feet and walked purposefully towards the speaker’s podium.

Deputy Speaker Karia Munda appealed to the members to allow parliament to function but this fell on deaf ears as a determined opposition kept shouting “Yeh sarkar nikammi hai (This government is useless)”.

Realising that no business could be transacted in the din, Munda adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

The issue led to a rather piquant situation in the Rajya Sabha, where Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was to reply to a short duration discussion on rising prices of essential commodities. The opposition said they would only listen to him if he also addressed the fuel hike issue.

When the house reassembled at 12 noon after it was adjourned for an hour and Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan called on Pawar to deliver his reply, S.S. Ahluwalia and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, joined by the entire opposition, objected vehemently.

Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley (BJP) interjected: “The issue is connected to the debate on price rise. We would have liked to hear the minister but in between came the budget and the hike in fuel prices.

“When parliament is in session you (the prime minister) chose if not a foreign land then midair (to declare there would be no rollback of prices). The prime minister should have been more serious. Let the prime minister come to the house and explain.”

Rahman Khan, however, said he could not direct this.

Ahluwalia added to the demand, saying: “Let the prime minister come at 2 p.m. and make a statement.” Khan responded: “No, no, I can’t ask the government to make a statement. You can raise this issue during the debate on the budget.”

Sitaram Yechury (Communist Party of India-Marxist) wondered whether the prime minister’s statement constituted a breach of privilege of the house. Khan said this was not so.

His pleas for order falling on deaf ears, Khan adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

Earlier, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the house till 12 noon when the ruckus raised by the BJP-led opposition prevented question hour from being conducted.