The stalemate ended after the opposition gave up its demand for a motion to discuss the issue under rules that entail voting and agreed for adopting a resolution after discussion in both Houses.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s “breakfast diplomacy” seems to have paid off. Not only did normalcy return to both Houses of parliament on Monday, but a virulent opposition also scaled down its demand for a discussion on price rise under rules entailing voting.
The debate will be held on Tuesday, but under a rule different from what the treasury and opposition benches had been demanding.
Mukherjee clinched the issue at a breakfast meeting he hosted for all parties on Monday morning. The meeting was meant to provide the opposition a face-saver and ensure smooth functioning of parliament. The parties agreed to discuss inflation under rule 342 and adopt a resolution unanimously.
BJP’s deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde said leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj would place the resolution in Lok Sabha expressing concern at the skyrocketing prices, which would be unanimously adopted. “Sense of the House will be expressed unanimously,” he said.
The resolution would imply that the “common man is suffering and the government will take all possible measures to control prices”.
Munde refused to acknowledge that the development was a scaledown forBJP. “The government had offered to discuss the issue under rule 193. But it will now happen under 342,” he reasoned.
Since the beginning of the monsoon session of parliament, the opposition had been insisting on a debate on price rise by moving an adjournment motion to censure the government. Later, it sought a discussion under rule 184 that entails voting. The UPA dispensation, however, rejected both demands.
The final draft of the resolution agreed to by political parties at an all-party meeting convened by Mukherjee, which will be accepted in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, reads: “This House is concerned over inflationary presssure in the economy and calls upon the government to take further action to contain its impact on common man.”
The opposition wanted inclusion of the term “price rise” in the resolution butthe government did not agree to it and insisted that the term “inflationary pressure” be used.
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