Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) While the opposition in parliament remains adamant on discussing the price rise under an adjournment motion, the government maintains this can be admitted only when it “fails” in its duties.
The ongoing monsoon session is the second in a row when the opposition has served notice of an adjournment motion on the price rise. The budget session earlier saw much of its time wasted as Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar rejected the opposition’s demand for debating the price rise under an adjournment motion.

Unless the central government “fails to discharge its duties enjoined by the constitution of the law”, the matter could not be discussed under an adjournment motion, which entails voting, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha Wednesday while intervening in the debate on whether the motion should be admitted.

Adjournment motions are governed by rules 56-63 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Lok Sabha.

Quoting from previous rulings by former Lok Sabha speakers, Mukherjee said an issue to be discussed under an adjournment motion has “to be definite, and it must be related to the functioning of the government”.

According to the rule 56, adjournment motions are moved to take up “a definite matter of urgent public importance”.

As the motion entails voting, the opposition gets a chance to test the government’s strength on the floor of the house.

With United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies like the Trinamool Congress and the DMK angry with the government on the issue of price rise, the adjournment motion may have caused an embarrassment for the ruling coalition.

Mukherjee’s comments were cited by Meira Kumar when she rejected the opposition demand for an adjournment motion.