Members fire away as Bhuria trips

Allies and Opposition alike took MoS for Agriculture Kantilal Bhuria to task for failing to answer their queries in the Lok Sabha today. While Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and the Speaker came to his rescue, MPs alleged the minister was being shielded.

Trouble began when Raghuraj Singh Shakya (SP) sought to know the basis of minimum support prices of crops. As Bhuria dwelt at length on other aspects, Shakya protested: ‘‘This is not the answer.’’ Members of the SP, BJP, Shiv Sena and JD(U) joined him. Pawar then got up and listed the factors taken into account. Bhuria was again shouted down when Shakya came up with another supplementary.