The Hindu : Front Page : Non-BJP Opposition parties protest price rise

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Wednesday, Jul 29, 2009
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Non-BJP Opposition parties protest price rise

Special Correspondent

PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY

Left leaders Brinda Karat, Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja, RJD leader Lalu Prasad (left) and other MPs stage a demonstration at Parliament House on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The Left and other non-Congress, non-BJP parties on Tuesday protested against the rise in the prices of essential commodities by staging a sit-in outside Parliament and raising the issue inside the chambers, forcing a brief adjournment of the Lok Sabha.

The government assured members in both the Houses that it was prepared for a structured debate on the price rise, with the Lok Sabha now scheduled to take it up on Wednesday.

In the first coordinated move by non-Congress and, non-BJP parties against the new UPA regime’s policies, members belonging to the four Left parties, the Telugu Desam Party, the Biju Janata Dal, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal staged a ‘dharna’ outside the main gate of Parliament building, holding placards protesting against the government’s “inaction” in checking the prices of food grains and essential commodities.

The strategy to pillory the government continued when the Houses assembled for the day — Communist Party of India (Marxist) Parliamentary Party leader Sitaram Yechury sought the suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue in the Rajya Sabha, while a similar demand was echoed in the Lok Sabha by Basudeb Acharia, leader of the CPI(M) in the House. Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh also expressed solidarity with the Left parties.

Mr. Acharia and the Left MPs moved to the well of the House demanding that Question Hour be suspended and a discussion taken up.

With the Left parties refusing to relent, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned proceedings for half an hour.

When the House met again, Mr. Acharia once again raised the issue, demanding a reply from Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sharad Pawar. The matter was settled when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the government was prepared for a structured discussion on Wednesday.

In the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan said the government was ready to discuss the issue that could be taken up after the House considered the Finance Bill.

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