New Delhi, July 28
The Government had its way in Parliament today as Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar rejected a united Opposition’s demand for a vote on price rise affecting the common man. The BJP-led opposition, including the Left, SP, BSP and RJD, wanted a discussion on inflation under the adjournment motion which entails voting and censure of the Government.

The Speaker, after allowing members to debate the admissibility of an adjournment motion for two hours, disallowed 14 notices for the same, saying adjournment motions could be attracted only when the Government had failed to discharge its constitutional or legal duties. “That’s not the case here,” Kumar said, citing the May 24, 1971 ruling of predecessor G.S. Dhillon. She had to adjourn the House soon after her pronouncement triggered angry responses, forcing BJP and SP members to storm the well and raise anti-UPA slogans. Rajya Sabha also saw repeated disrputions on the issue before being finally adjourned for the day.

“The decision (of fuel price rise) taken by the Government, the merit of which cannot be considered by the Chair, is an exercise of executive powers of the Government, which the House has the authority to discuss. I will consider notices for other forms of discussion but I disallow the notices of adjournment motion,” the Speaker observed, rejecting the Opposition demand.

The Government critics, right from BJP’s Sushma Swaraj, JDU’s Sharad Yadav and SP’s Mulayam Singh to RJD’s Lalu Prasad, BSP’s Dara Singh Chauhan and Left’s Gurudas Dasgupta and Basudeb Acharia, failed to impress the Speaker despite their emotional and logical imploring today. All of them recalled how price rise had been debated thrice under Rule 193 (which the Government wanted) without any effective result.

Initiating the debate, Swaraj argued for the adjournment motion saying discussions had been sought on the recent hike in the prices of kerosene and LPG. “This is a matter of public importance and involves government responsibility, fulfilling the requirements of adjournment motion rules. We want discussions under rules that permit us to censure the Government, not under 193 which is ineffective,” Sushma said.

Her views found a resonance in the assertions of other leaders, with Lalu even daring the Government to pledge to the House that it would not offer fuel subsidy closer to the next elections. “Can you make that promise?” Lalu asked Leader of House Pranab Mukherjee, who was speechless.

Price rise

CPM’s Basudeb Acharia cites the rulings in which Speakers allowed adjournment motions to discuss price rise

July 23, 1973 Speaker allowed Indrajit Gupta’s adjournment motion on abnormal price rise.

Nov 12, 1973 SM Banerjee’s adjournment motion was allowed.

Feb 21, 1986 Madu Dandvate’s adjournment notice against fertiliser and petrol price rise allowed.

June 13, 1994 Ramjais Prasad’s adjournment notice on sugar situation was admitted.

April 17, 2000 Another such motion was admitted on price rise during the NDA regime.