Price rise issue rocks both Houses of Parliament

All hell broke loose in the Lower House, as soon as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh introduced his new ministers and Speaker Somnath Chatterjee made obituary references to two former members.

Several members of the Samajwadi Party and few of the BJP stormed the well protesting against the spiralling food and fuel prices. The chanted slogans like Joh sarkar nikaami hai, woh sarkar badalni hai (we have to change the incompetent government)”.

Members from the BJP as also its allies in the NDA and from the Left were up on their feet to protest over price rise.

As the members were unrelenting and continued to raise slogans, a visibly angry Speaker asked the Lok Sabha officials to note down the names of erring members.

“Those who are raising slogans will be dealt with properly. I am not going to permit any such thing,” Chatterjee said before adjourning the House till 11:30 am.

It was a similar story in the Upper House where Opposition members raised slogans and Left members were also on their feet.

“Price rise is the only question today,” senior BJP member Murli Manohar Joshi said as soon as Chairman Hamid Ansari announced the start of the Question Hour. Amid the din, he adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

Earlier, Left and UNPA members staged a dharna on the issue on the Parliament premises after marching from Mavlankar Hall near the Parliament House. “We will protest on the streets against rising inflation till April 23 along with UNPA leaders to pin down the government on inflation”, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said.