Opposition walks out during Mukherjee's budget speech

The proposed changes in duties related to petroleum products in the budget stirred a hornet's nest today with the entire opposition walking out from the Lok Sabha and warning that it will not allow Parliament to function until a rollback is announced.

"This is a move that would lead to a rise in prices of diesel and petrol and hit the common man already burdened by the price rise," leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj said immediately after the walkout.

The issue united the entire opposition as leftist leader Gurudas Dasgupta, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad joined Swaraj in addressing an impromptu joint press conference outside Parliament House.

"The entire opposition is together," Prasad said, attacking the government and accusing it of acting in a "dictatorial manner" against the interests of the common people.

He said Parliament would not be allowed to function till a rollback was effected.

The former railway minister, once a close ally of the Congress, said both Didi (railway minister Mamata Banerjee) and Dada (Mukherjee) were only concerned about West Bengal. "Didi aur Dada dono milkar desh ka baaja baja rahe hain," he remarked.

Raising anti-government slogans, the opposition MPs chanted: Jo sarkar nikammi hai, woh sarkar badalni hai [We have to change this inefficient government].

"We have boycotted the budget," Swaraj said. "Soon after a discussion on price rise, the government has increased the prices of petroleum products. This is anti-people."

The BJP politician said any increase in prices of petroleum products will be an "indirect tax" and have a cascading effect on the prices of all commodities.

National Democratic Alliance convenor and Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav launched a frontal attack on the government, questioning the very sanctity of the debate on price rise as the government had effectively increased the prices of petroleum products.

"This is not a budget for the common people. This will only lead to more trouble for them as they are reeling under price rise," Yadav said.

Dasgupta (CPI) joined hands with the entire opposition in slamming the budget, terming it "anti-people". He said the budget proposals would lead to street protests.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said the finance minister yesterday had assured Parliament that prices would come down and now the government was raising prices.

"This matter is above party politics," he said. "Farmers and workers of the country are suffering."