Virbhadra attacks govt for rising prices

Criticising the government for not allowing him to raise the twin issues of shy-rocketing prices and law and order, he quoted rule 124 and sub-clause 8 of the Assembly rules, which clearly says that the question hour could be suspended to take up the issues of urgent public importance. The issues which the Congress Party had proposed to raise, warranted suspension of the question hour.

Later, in another press briefing, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J.P.Nadda condemned the action of the Congress Party in the House. They defended the ruling of the Speaker in not allowing the leader of the opposition to raise the issue of rising prices before the question hour.

Quoting directives of the Speaker, Nadda said question hour could not be suspended and discussion on any important issue if warranted could be taken up after the question hour.

He said, in fact, the opposition wanted to avoid question hour for it might have boomranged on it. Citing example of a few questions listed in the name of opposition members, he said the expenditure incurred on purchasing vehicles for VIPs during the Congress regime was much more than the BJP regime.

Referring to a question on the construction of a new multi-storey building for the high court, the parliamentary affairs minister said that the BJP government had given Rs. 2.30 crore whereas the previous Congress regime had given only Rs. 14 lakh that too in two instalments.