Price Rise issue rocks Parliament; adjourned till Wednesday

The first day of Parliament after the President's address to a joint sitting saw the two sides at loggerheads as a united opposition charged the Congress-led coalition with "failure" in checking rising food prices.

It was trouble from the word go in both the Houses as Lok Sabha saw opposition members demanding admission of an adjournment motion, while in the Rajya Sabha, they wanted a debate under a rule which stipulates voting.

Both the Houses were adjourned for day in the afternoon and later till Wednesday as members from BJP, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, RJD and the Left stormed the well shouting anti-government slogans. SP and RJD are outside supporters of the UPA.

In the Lok Sabha, some BJP members were seen carrying placards saying, "Mahangai ko samapt karo, Mahangai mantri ko barkhast karo (check price rise, dismiss the minister responsible for price rise)."

Both Finance Minster Pranab Mukherjee and Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar were present in the House.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said, "This government has completely failed to check rising prices."

Sushma Swaraj, who took over as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, made a strong pitch for an adjournment motion saying several debates on the issue under Rule 193, which provides for a short duration discussion only and no voting, had failed" to have the desired effect on the government.

Making a spirited defence, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said while the government was ready to discuss any issue on the floor of the House, the "rules do not permit an adjournment motion".

There was an uproar when Bansal suggested that state governments were primarily responsible for implementing laws like Essential Commodities Act and those relating to public distribution system and hoarding.

Opposition members countered that the government was "running away" from confronting the problems of the people by putting the blame on states.

SP and RJD members ten trooped into the well while their Left and BJP colleagues stood in protest.

Speaker Meira Kumar tried in vain to pacify the agitated members who were in no mood to listen. She first adjourned the House till noon and later for the day.

SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav described price rise as a serious challenge and said a large chunk of the people will not be in a position to celebrate the upcoming Holi.