Opp. accepts price debate today, with no vote
New Delhi, Feb. 24: The government won the first round of battle against the Oppostion and supporting parties who were trying to corner it by pressing for a discussion on the price rise issue under an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha. On Wednesday, however, these parties agreed to a discussion in both Houses on Thursday under a rule which does not entail voting.
While agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will reply to the discussion, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, also Leader of the Lok Sabha, will intervene in the discussion.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj will initiate the discussion, after Question Hour is dispensed with. Sources said the lunch break will be suspended in both Houses to allow a seven-hour debate beginning 11 am. Government sources indicated that given the importance of the subject, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might intervene in the discussion.
The Oppostion parties earlier joined forces to press for an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, with some parties supporting the Manmohan Singh government from outside backing them. The leaders of the Samajwadi Party, BSP and RJD made their stand clear on the floor during the day.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, however, disallowed the notices seeking an adjournment motion given by Ms Sushma Swaraj and several other Opposition leaders. In her ruling, she said while Rule 56 held that "a definite matter of urgent public importance may be discussed by adjourning the business of the House", she would also have to go by how her predecessors as Speaker had interpreted the term "urgent". The price rise, she noted, had not arisen suddenly, it had been discussed in the last session. "So it cannot be held that the issue is one of recent occurrence, or urgent in the sense in which it is used in the rule," she observed.
She quoted a ruling by an earlier Speaker, G.V. Mavalankar: "The right to move adjournment motions has certain limitations. One ... is that it should not anticipate a debate in the House. If honourable members have a fairly good chance of raising the question on a debate, then it will not be permitted as an adjournment motion."
Ms Kumar said: "I am bound by the Rules of this House. I cannot also ignore the rulings of my predecessors. The Rules of the House and past rulings do not allow me to admit these notices."
Age Correspondent
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