Uproar in Parliament over price rise, both Houses adjourned till noon

NEW DELHI - Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon following the Opposition cornering the government on the issue of rising prices.

In a setback for the government, the Bahujan Samjawadi Party (BSP) demanded a discussion on the price rise.

The BSP has in the past come to the government’s rescue by voting with it on crucial issues.

The Opposition sought to introduce an adjournment motion on the matter of the price rise, demanding that the discussion end with a vote. However, the Congress ruled this out.

The opposition made it clear that it will not relent until the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, gives an assurance that the government is willing to discuss the issue in Parliament.

On Monday, Dr. Singh appealed to the opposition to aim for a “peaceful and productive” Parliament session.

“We hope this session of the Parliament would be peaceful and productive. We have a lot of important issues of national importance to debate. We want the Parliament to function smoothly,” he said.

The illegal mining issue in Karnataka, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the controversy surrounding the Bhopal Gas tragedy is also expected to generate heat during the month-long session.

The economic blockade in Manipur, the delay in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the Ranganath Mishra Commission Report and the Gorkhaland issue will also come up for discussion during the session.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to face the Opposition’s ire on railway accidents. (ANI)