The price rise and rising inflation rocked parliament on Tuesday forcing the presiding officers to adjourn both the Houses
NEW DELHI: The price rise and rising inflation rocked parliament on Tuesday forcing the presiding officers to adjourn both the Houses even as the UPA government came under severe attack from the Left and Right on its failure to contain the skyward prices.
The Left and the UNPA MPs took to the street while a proposed meeting of cabinet committee on prices (CCP) to discuss measures to contain inflation was postponed following differences between finance minister P Chidambaram and commerce minister
Kamal Nath on the question of reducing excise duty on steel. The finance minister is said to be not in favour of reducing excise duty on steel as it fears loss of revenue, the commerce minister is rooting for it. Chidambaram later told reporters that the CCP will meet soon and take steps to bring the prices down. “I don’t know when the CCP will meet, when it meets, I expect some measures,” he said.
Shouting slogans against price rise and against the UPA government, the BJP and Samajwadi Party members rushed to the well of the House and stalled the proceedings forcing presiding officers of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to adjourn the House for the day.
Earlier, the Left MPs and United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) members took out a joint march led by senior leaders from Jantar Mantar to parliament to protest the rising inflation.
Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee had allowed a discussion on price rise after the question hour but was forced to adjourn the House after the BJP and SP stormed the well. BJP deputy leader in the House VK Malhotra said the party will take a decision on Wednesday on what motion a discussion on price rise could talke place. “The government is confused, ministers are talking in different tongues, Chidambaram, Kamal Nath. Kapil Sibal, Praful Patel all are giving different solutions and reasons for price rise,” he said.
Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav expressed his opposition to disruption of parliament and urged the BJP to allow the discussion on inflation. Sources said the saffron party may not stall the House on Wednesday following its ally’s appeal.
Meanwhile, minister of state for finance Pawan Kumar Bansal told Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the government is “considering subsidised distribution of imported edible oils to benefit consumers, particularly to those belonging to BPL families, through state governments.”
Later, left leaders called on steel minister Ramvilas Paswan and urged him to restrict the export of finished steel and consider setting up of a regulator in the sector. Talking to reporters, Yechury said “we will protest on the streets against rising inflation till April 23 along with UNPA leaders to pin down the government.”
k_benedict@dnaindia.net
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