Speaker rejects vote on prices

The Opposition made a valiant bid corner the government on the issue of rising prices on Wednesday in both houses of Parliament on Wednesday. However, in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker, Ms Meira Kumar, came to the rescue of the treasury benches by ruling that the adjournment motion on rising prices moved by the Opposition could not be admitted.

Her decision prompted the Opposition MPs led by the BJP and the Left to force an adjournment of the Lok Sabha as they all came trooping into the well of the House soon after she had given her ruling. The ruling came shortly after 2 pm when the House reconvened following a lunch recess.

The Rajya Sabha too could transact little business today as the Opposition forced two adjournments, the second one fo the day when the House met at 12 noon.

Leaders of the BJP and its NDA allies plan to meet President, Ms Pratibha Patil, on Thursday morning and hand over a memorandum to her.

Meanwhile, the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and the AICC general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, skipped proceedings of the Lok Sabha for party work, despite a whip issued for party MPs to be present in the house. The whip was issued in the backdrop of the opposition move to press for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on the price rise issue, which could be followed by a vote.

When asked to comment on their absence from Lok Sabha, the AICC spokesperson, Mr Manish Tewari, tried to downplay the issue, as he said, “Yes it is correct that there was an advisory for the members to be present but the Congress President and the general secretary also have party responsibilities and organisational preoccupation.”