Rajya Sabha adjourned for day over opposition's uproar over fuel price hike

The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha on Monday were adjourned for the day amid opposition's continuous protests over the hike in fuel prices.

After the second adjournment when the House reassembled at 2 p.m., the panel deputy chairman Sasmit Patra said that the Union Minister for Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav will reply on the debate on the working of the Ministry but the oppositions' commotion continued as they wanted a discussion on the price rise.

Raising the Point of Order in the House, the Trinamool Congress Member Derek O'Brien said that some members following the due procedure have given notices under rule 276 to suspend all scheduled business of the House to discuss the hike in petroleum prices. "And under Rule 138 we want that the Women's Reservation Bill be tabled here in the Rajya Sabha. This government does not want discussion on inflation, hike in petroleum prices, not interested in bringing this (Women Reservation Bill) also," he said.

Responding to Derek O'Brien's Point of Order, the Union Labour Minister said that rule 138 is related to the petition not to the proceedings of the House and how this 138 was related to raising the Point of Order in the House.

The panel chairman also said that until the House was not in order, how he can take the other Point of Order and requested the opposition MPs to go back to their seats. "I am not denying the point of order, please take your seats," Patra appealed to the agitating members.

The DMK member T. Siva raised the second Point of Order and said that rule 168 which says that the notice will be given to the Secretary General. "We have given our notices under rule 267 to suspend the scheduled business of the House to discuss a very important subject -- the hike in petroleum prices following the proper procedure, then why were our notices rejected?"

Responding to T. Siva, Patra said that they all know that the Chairman takes the final calls on the notices and he had already conveyed his decision. Patra also said that once the notices are rejected by the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the same cannot be reconsidered.

Then, he asked Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav to initiate his reply on the debate on the working of his Ministry.

Yadav started his reply but he was not audible due to opposition's commotion. He accused the opposition that they do not want to discuss the issues related to the labourers and the poor.

Meanwhile, the opposition started raising slogans against the government over the price rise and hike in the petroleum prices.

Bhupendra Yadav also said that the former Prime Minister and senior Members of the House, H.D. Deve Gowda wanted to say something but the opposition was not allowing him to speak.

When all efforts of the chair to restore order in the House failed, the panel deputy chairman Sasmit Patra adjourned the House for the day to meet again at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

--IAMS

ams/dpb