Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha, during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
Highlights
- Adhir Ranjan said the opposition had been claiming that prices will increase after elections
- He said thet Congress will 'stand against this for common people both outside and inside Lok Saba'
- The Rajya Sabha too witnessed protests by the opposition MPs, forcing adjournments
Opposition parties protested in Lok Sabha on Tuesday against the increase in prices of fuel and cooking gas and staged a walkout demanding a rollback. Raising the issue after Question Hour, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the opposition parties had been claiming that the prices of diesel and petrol would increase after the election process.
Members of the Congress, TMC, NCP, DMK and Left parties raised slogans from their seats against the fuel price hike and demanded a rollback.
The opposition parties had tried to raise the issue as soon as Lok Sabha met for Question Hour, but were disallowed by Speaker Om Birla. Birla had told the opposition parties to raise the issue after Question Hour.
"We said that there will be an exorbitant rise in fuel prices post the Assembly elections, we have been proven right. Modi government is not at all reluctant to loot the poor. We will stand against this for common people both outside and inside the Lok Sabha," Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters outside the Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha too witnessed protests by the opposition MPs, forcing the Chairman to adjourn the proceedings twice. With slogan shouting opposition MPs trooping into the well of the House, proceedings were first adjourned till 12 noon and then till post-lunch.
While TMC members stormed into the well of the House carrying placards, Congress, Left, Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena MPs were up on their feet, some shouting slogans.
When the House met after the first adjournment, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called for the listed Question Hour to be taken and asked opposition parties to not disrupt the proceedings. Unrelenting, the opposition members shouted slogans, drowning out Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertiliser Bhagwanth Khuba who was replying to the first listed question.
Harivansh asked TMC leader Derek O'Brien to call his party MPs back to their seats and allow Question Hour to proceed, saying precious national resources have been spent. With opposition members continuing their vociferous protests, he adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
"By increasing fuel prices Modi government is making money worth Rs10,000 crores by plundering the poor. Many say prices are rising due to Ukraine-Russia crisis, but as per Petroleum Ministry, we didn't buy 1% of crude oil from Russia," Congress leader & LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Petrol and diesel prices were on Tuesday hiked by 80 paise a litre each while domestic cooking gas LPG rates were increased by Rs 50 per cylinder as state oil firms ended an over four and half month election-related hiatus in rate revision, fanning inflation fears.
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