Oppn may seek debate on price rise under rule allowing voting

Despite its strategy for the Adjournment Motion falling flat in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition has not given up raking the price rise issue and could now seek a debate under a rule which entails voting.

The apprehension in the government circles is that the Opposition may utilise Rule 184 to again press for discussion with voting in the Lower House.

A Union Minister, who declined to be identified said the ruling of the Speaker, disallowing the Adjournment Motion, could not be applicable if fresh notices are served under Rule 184 and a separate ruling would be required for it.

Asked why was the government against voting on the crucial issue, the minister said the government has to run for four years and it cannot set a precedent where voting takes place on every issue.

"After all, we have to mobilise members every time. Some of them could be indisposed. Everyone knows that government has a majority. This is just to destabilise the government," he said.

The fact that the Opposition has not given up the price rise issue could be gauged from the fact that the BJP would be approaching President Pratibha Patil on the issue tomorrow.

Ridiculing the decision of the main opposition to approach the President tomorrow on the issue, the minister said if they seriously think the government can be brought down and they have the figure of 274, they should stake their claim to form an alternative government and not take recourse to such desperate acts.

Meanwhile, the Left parties have decided to stage a sit-in inside Parliament House tomorrow to protest the government's "failure" to contain rising prices of essential commodities.

CPI National Secretary D Raja and CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia said they will hold the sit-in inside Parliament precincts as "we do not want to hold up the proceedings of the House."

Raja said, "We don't agree with the Speaker's ruling. The government should accept its lapses and failures (in checking the rising prices) and come forward with adequate steps to control prices".

Meanwhile, the government is concerned over the impasse over conducting business in the House as Parliament has some urgent business to conduct. The President's rule in Jharkhand has to be ratified by both Houses by July 30.

"This could create Constitutional problems if the ratification is not done within two months of the proclamation of the President's rule," said a source.

Referring to the Speaker disallowing the Adjournment Motion, the Union Minister said that such a motion was brought 51 times during the NDA regime and only five were allowed.

This includes a notice given by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and 10 others on April 17, 2000, on sharp increase in petroleum prices, which was disallowed by the then Speaker.

Parliamentary sources said that price rise is listed for short duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow and either Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee or Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar would reply or intervene.