Monsoon Session: Ruckus over inflation, Agnipath stalls proceedings for second day

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 19

Disruptions in Parliament continued for the second day of the monsoon session, with both Houses witnessing adjournments following uproar by Opposition members on price rise, hike in GST on food items and the Agnipath scheme.

As soon as the Lok Sabha reassembled at 2 pm, members of the Congress, TMC, DMK and others came to the well of the House carrying placards to protest price rise and GST.

FM defends GST

Is this the first time such food articles are being taxed? No. States were collecting significant revenue from foodgrain in the pre-GST regime. Punjab alone collected Rs 2,000 crore on food grain. — Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister

Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, who was on the chair, adjourned the House for the day. Earlier in the day, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House after he failed to impress upon the agitating members to return to their seats during the question hour. The Opposition members raised slogans against the Modi government over the issue of price rise.

Birla said since the House was discussing farmers’ issue, the members should participate in it. “You carry rules book but don’t follow rules. The rules prohibit carrying placards here but you are still holding them. You raise farmers’ issue outside the House but not inside,” he said. “In the last session, you did not participate in the debate on price rise. This is not good,” Birla said before adjourning the House till 2 pm.

The scenes were no different in the Rajya Sabha. The House could not transact any substantial business as opposition parties, including the Congress, disrupted proceedings demanding discussions on issues ranging from price rise to the Agnipath scheme.

The House witnessed vociferous protests from Opposition MPs as it met in the morning, forcing the Chair to adjourn proceedings till 2 pm. Members of the Congress and the AAP insisted taking up discussions on the issues raised by them. When the House re-assembled, Deputy Chairman Harivansh asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to move the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill.

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