New Delhi, November 22
Ignoring Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s appeal to allow Parliament to run smoothly, the Opposition wrecked proceedings on Day 1 of the winter session, raising a range of issues from price rise and Home Minister P Chidambaram’s alleged role in the 2G scam to separate statehood for Telangana and better remuneration for Maharashtra’s cotton farmers.

As soon as the Lok Sabha commenced for the day and Speaker Meira Kumar ended her 20-minute obituary references, it was a free for all. Within minutes, Question Hour had been adjourned until noon. Later, Deputy Speaker Karia Munda came in to adjourn the House until tomorrow.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned after obituary references in the memory of sitting members.

Back in the Lower House, the Left and the BJP caused interruptions over inflation and Home Minister P Chidambaram’s speech, respectively. The Left leaders had moved an adjournment motion to discuss inflation, but the Speaker did not allow it.

The BJP was happy to have found its first chance to embarrass Chidambaram when the Speaker asked him to answer a query on Naxal-hit areas. Keeping their promise of not letting him speak, the saffron MPs drowned his voice in the din they caused. The latter yielded quickly as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and ministers Kamal Nath and Sharad Pawar, seated in the same bench as Chidambaram, watched silently.

Soon, Shiv Sena MPs trooped into the well seeking more MSP for Maharashtra’s cotton growers.

The BSP asked for 10% Muslim quota in jobs while the rival Samajwadi Party faction displayed its frustration over UP Chief Minster Mayawati’s move to divide the state. Equal contributors to the din were ruling Congress MPs from Telangana, who flashed posters seeking a separate Telangana state.

The only business transacted was Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s statement on price rise, which will come up for discussion in LS tomorrow, with the Opposition seeming to allow the House to run.

Following the Business Advisory Committee meeting with political party leaders today evening, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal told reporters that the Lower House would discuss Pranab’s statement on price rise tomorrow.

The Left leaders are said to have agreed to a discussion on the matter under rules other than the adjournment motion though they may still move the latter. CPI’s D Raja said, “We want the Parliament to function and would discuss price rise under a substantial rule.” A Rule 193 discussion is expected.

In another important development, the Left distanced itself from BJP’s Chidambaram- boycott decision. “We want everyone involved in the 2G scam investigated but don’t want to target any individual by boycotting him,” CPM’s Sitaram Yechury said.

The BJP, too, hinted later that it would not disrupt proceedings routinely. “We have several issues to discuss. It is wrong to presume that the House will not function. We will all try our best to ensure that the House functions,” senior party leader Yashwant Sinha said.

Already, LK Advani has moved an adjournment motion on black money. On the price rise debate, Sinha said it would not object if the Left agreed to debate the issue “under any other rule as it had made a point by pressing for an adjournment motion today.”