Disruptions on Day 2 of Parliament’s monsoon session.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Tuesday stooped to conquer. Alarmed at losing another precious day in the monsoon session, it agreed to discuss price rise in the Lok Sabha with voting under Rule 184 and a similar discussion with voting in the Rajya Sabha later.
Sources say, the text of the motion is likely to read: “Despite repeated discussion, the government has been unable to control price hike and thus this house expresses deep concern on its ability to do so.”
This is likely to be the first time a government will agree that its performance in controlling prices has been below par.
The consensus on discussing price rise was reached in the backdrop of the demand put across by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha, that all other business of the House be shelved in order to discuss the flaming issue of price rise. An identical motion was raised in the Lok Sabha. Both the Houses were first adjourned for nearly an hour till noon and then till 2 pm because of the ruckus.
The government also got a section of the opposition to agree that as the 2G spectrum scam trial was going on, it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome. So when a debate on corruption takes place — possibly tomorrow — there will be no mention of either Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or then Finance Minister and current Home Minister P Chidambaram during the speeches.
But on Tuesday was a washout. Another day in Parliament was wasted and all that the government could do was table supplementary demands for grants. In both the houses of Parliament, the opposition raised a wide range of issues and demanded that these be accorded more priority ahead of routine business.
It was disruption from the word go. In the Lok Sabha, it was the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — which rules Uttar Pradesh — that clashed along with the Samajwadi Party (SP). SP workers trooped into the well of the house, demanding the Mayawati-led Uttar Pradesh government be dismissed for shooting, arresting and harassing farmers. Members of BSP are in the dock over the issue of land acquisition, followed suit by carrying placards, blaming the Congress-led government for the poor conditions of peasantry. They also demanded the immediate passage of the Land Acquisition Bill.
Members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena party raised slogans demanding that the 2008 Mumbai terror attack culprit Ajmal Kasab and 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru be hanged immediately. Affected by the triple bomb blasts on July 13, Sena members raised the issue of security in Mumbai in the monsoon session, the first session of Parliament after the blasts.
Tuesday was the first working day of the Lok Sabha as it was adjourned yesterday after paying homage to sitting member and former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal. The Rajya Sabha was rocked yesterday over the 2G telecom scam.
In the Lok Sabha, CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia has given a notice for adjournment motion, backed by all the Left parties on the issue of price rise.
Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete said, his party would actively voice the issue of better security for Mumbai in the House tomorrow.
In the melee, Speaker Meira Kumar in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan ordered the laying of papers listed for the day. The papers included Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2011-12.
As soon as the Rajya Sabha re-assembled for Zero Hour, members from the BJP and other parties like CPI, CPI(M), AIADMK, Shiv Sena, JD(U) and BSP began shouting slogans seeking the resignation of the “corrupt government”.
Khan tried to pacify the members saying their notices have already been taken up for consideration by the Business Advisory Committee. But the members refused to relent.
