A determined opposition today stalled Parliament on the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities with the Rajya Sabha adjourning for the day at noon and the Lok Sabha witnessing three adjournments.
With a 13-party grouping, which included the Left, SP and RJD, calling for a nation-wide shut down, the price rise issue was raised vociferously by these non-NDA and non-UPA parties, which charged the government with failing to check inflation.
Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav led the RJD and SP members into the well of the Lok Sabha.
Shouting slogans like 'Jab, Jab Congress aayee hai, kamartod mehngai layi hai' (whenever Congress has come to power, it has brought back-breaking inflation), SP members carried placards denouncing the government and demanding steps to ease inflation.
In the Rajya Sabha, they were joined by members of the Left and AIADMK, while the BJP stood up in support.
BSP, which announced its support to the government on the opposition-sponsored cut motions to the Demands for Grants, did not join the protests in both Houses.
Food prices have remained high with the index of these items hovering over 17 per cent, while the general inflation is almost touching the double-digit figure.
Even as the uproar against price rise continued in the Lok Sabha, the BJP protested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's refusal to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe allegations of phone tapping of political leaders.
After paying tributes to two former members who recently passed away, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said she was surprised to see media reports quoting the Prime Minister as saying there would be no JPC to investigate the issue.
"This is a disrespect of the House. The Prime Minister should give a statement in the House," she said. BJP has also demanded a JPC probe into the IPL scam.
In the uproar, the House was adjourned till noon.
After the House re-assembled, SP and RJD members trooped into the well and shouted slogans like "Jo sarkar nikammi hai, woh sarkar badalni hai" (an ineffective government has to be changed) and "abhi to yeh angdai hai, aage aur ladai hai" (This is just the beginning, more struggles lie ahead).
In the pandemonium, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till 1400 hours.
When the House met again, similar scenes were witnessed with Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav leading the Opposition members into the well. Deputy Speaker Karia Munda then adjourned the House till 1800 hours.
Rajya Sabha, which witnessed uproar right from the word go, was adjourned during the Question Hour minutes after it met. When similar scenes were witnessed after the House re-assembled, it was adjourned for the day.
