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Sonia leads Oppn walk-out over price-rise

The opposition today walked out of the Lok Sabha during zero hour protesting against the denial of permission to discuss through an adjournment motion the recent hike in prices of essential commodities.

Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi who made a spirited appeal to the government to withdraw this anti-poor step, was supported by leaders of all opposition parties, making the submissions into practically a full-fledged discussion.

After all the leaders spoke, Speaker G M C Balayogi withheld his consent for the adjournment motion, suggesting that members could raise these issues during the discussion on the Finance Bill.

Rajesh Pilot and other Congress leaders pleaded with the speaker to allow Devendra Prasad Yadav (Janata Dal- United), Prabhunath Singh (Samata Party) and some other leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance to speak on the issue. But the speaker said they have not given notice and therefore cannot be called.

Raising the issue, Gandhi said the government has created a serious crisis by raising the prices of essential commodities resulting in hardship to the people, especially the middle and lower middle classes and the people below the poverty line. The hike in the prices of diesel and urea badly affected the farmers crippling the agriculture sector, she said.

Gandhi said there had been reports of farmers committing suicides in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh indicating the gravity of the situation.

The increase in prices of wheat and rice amounted to a staggering 60 per cent with a serious impact on the people, she said.

The issue was of great importance and urgency and therefore the house should discuss it through an adjournment motion so that it could focus attention on the government and on the disastrous effect on the economically weaker sections of the society, she said.

N N Krishna Das of the Communist Party of India-Marxist said the entire country was agitated over the issue and the government should immediately withdraw the hike.

Varkala Radhakrishnan of the CPI-M said the hike has jeopardised the public distribution system which had been working efficiently in states like Kerala. He said Kerata, a land of cash crops, was promised food supply by the central government when the state was formed.

He said petroleum prices were increased behind the back of Parliament. The minister concerned did not consult Parliament even though it was in session, he said.

He said an all-party delegation led by Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar would stage a demonstration outside Parliament tomorrow in protest against the hike.

P H Pandian of the All India Anna Dravida Munnethra Kazhagam said even before the votes were counted during the last Lok Sabha elections, the NDA caretaker government jacked up prices. This was followed by other hikes behind the back of Parliament, he said.

Basudev Acharya of the CPI-M said the price hike was unprecedented and the increase in fertiliser prices has resulted in a fall of consumption.

He said the government was planning to dismantle the Public Distribution System or PDS which was running efficiently for decades.

Opposition leaders strongly supported the Leader of the Opposition and said the government has thoroughly failed in meeting the aspirations of the people. People had no increase in their wages or income but the government had increased their expenditure, he said.

He also said the government was bypassing Parliament whether it be the price hike or whether it be the constitution review.

They appealed to the NDA partners to come out and demand the withdrawal of these hikes instead of sitting pretty in the house. This was a real test for the NDA partners, they said.

UNI

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