Government's two key allies, DMK and Trinamool Congress (TC), today joined the opposition in the Lok Sabha in criticising the hike in petrol and diesel prices, with the southern party condemning the decision.
Non-Congress parties, cutting across party lines, demanded a roll back in the prices. The issue led to a furore earlier during the Question Hour, with agitated members of BJP, Samajwadi Party and Left parties forcing two brief adjournments.
DMK member T R Baalu was more strident in his criticism of the government's decision, saying he "strongly condemns" it.
"This government is not a unitary government but is supported by DMK and Trinamool Congress. It (hike in prices) is not at all good. It should have been discussed with party leaders as also in the Cabinet," Baalu said on the decision to raise petrol prices by Rs 4 and diesel prices by Rs 2 announced yesterday.
"I strongly condemn the act. It should not recur. I am saying this as a close friend of Congress," he added.
Trinamool member Sudip Bandopadhyay said the decision should be revoked.
"We understand that international crude prices have gone up. But this (price rise) will affect common people," he said.
Sharif-ud Shariq of National Conference, which is also an ally of the government, said the "sincerity" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi could not be questioned and suggested that an all-party meeting be called to find a way out in view of demands for roll back of prices of petrol and diesel.
The issue was raised by CPI member Gurudas Dasgupta, who said the decision would have a cascading effect on prices of other commodities.
He was critical of the announcement outside Parliament just a day before the Budget Session was to commence. Dasgupta said it amounted to "grave Parliamentary impropriety".
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD president Lalu Prasad and CPI(M) member Basudeb Acharia also attacked the government for hiking the prices of petrol and diesel, saying it would put a burden on common people.
Prasad, who was till the other day part of the UPA government, suggested that Sonia Gandhi had not been given the "proper advice".
Demanding revoking of the decision, he said it had been taken at the "most inappropriate time" and would "tarnish the image" of Congress.
Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is also extending support to the government, said the Congress President should intervene to ensure a roll back as the country is facing a "serious crisis" because of "failure" of Monsoon, especially in North India.
Accusing the government of "violating parliamentary propreity", BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the move to hike petrol and diesel prices "raises suspicion as to which companies will be benefited by this decision."
"The government has been saying that the public sector oil companies have been making profits and giving dividends to it. Then why this secrecy," she asked.
Swaraj attacked the Congress for "betraying" the common people and added that only withdrawal of the hike could resolve matters.
Akali Dal's Rattan Singh Ajnala said the new government had given a "big gift" to the people on the first day of the budget session.
Independent member Inder Singh Namdhari said about 3,000 farmers of Palamau in Jharkhand had written to the President seeking permission to commit suicide because government has done nothing to save them from the drought conditions prevailing in the region for the past three years.
"You have only added salt to their injury by increasing diesel prices," he said.
Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete, M Thambidurai (AIADMK), Narahari Mahato (Forward Bloc) and Shailendra Kumar (SP) demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike. They said dams, reservoirs and ponds have dried up and there was no other option for the poor but to depend on diesel for irrigating their fields using pumps.