Price rise: Now TMC notice for debate

Locked in a tussle with a belligerent Opposition over a demand for discussions and voting in both Houses of Parliament on price rise...

Locked in a tussle with a belligerent Opposition over a demand for discussions and voting in both Houses of Parliament on price rise,the UPA faced an embarrassment from within on Tuesday. The Trinamool Congress,largest UPA constituent after the Congress,gave a notice for a discussion on the issue in the Lok Sabha for Wednesday. The sole source of consolation was that senior Trinamool member Sudip Bandyopadhyay had given the notice under Rule 193 for a short-duration discussion,which implied a reply by the government at the end,but no voting.

We feel the hike in the prices of petroleum products has put an additional burden on the common man and,therefore,the House needed discuss the matter, Bandyopadhyay said.

The move reinforced the contention of Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj in the Lok Sabha during the day that even some ruling coalition partners were in favour of a discussion.

Bandyopadhay,however,refrained from backing the Opposition crusade for an adjournment motion,which implies voting. When asked to spell out the Trinamool stand if Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar accepted the Opposition notice for an adjournment motion,Bandyopadhay made it clear that his party will vote in favour of the government. He said: We are in the government and we are not in favour of a voting on the issue,but we certainly want a discussion. He said the Trinamool felt called upon to give the notice after Petroleum Minister Murli Deora made a statement in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday ruling out a roll-back of the hike in prices of petroleum products. Our party president Mamata Banerjee is on record having opposed the hike, he added.

As the Opposition paralysed both Houses,the day came to a close with fresh notices for the admission of an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and a discussion under Rule 168 in the Rajya Sabha. This set the stage for a replay of Tuesdays scenes in both Houses on Wednesday. The government remained firm in its stand no voting. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the government was ready for a discussion,but we are not going to allow voting at the drop of hat.

At a time when Mamata has to compete with the Left to address the poor in Bengal and BSP chief Mayawati is far from being happy with the UPA,a voting in the Lok Sabha is the last thing the government wants. Mayawati issued a statement in Lucknow demanding a debate on price rise in Parliament. Though she was silent on the adjournment motion,the timing of the statement meant a boost to the Opposition drive. Sources indicated that Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar may give a ruling rejecting the Opposition notices. And it seemed very unlikely that the parties opposed to the government would readily give in and facilitate a discussion under Rule 193. As if foreseeing this,BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde issued a statement asking,Are the allies of this government unsure of their vote?