Government faces Opposition heat on price rise

New Delhi, Mar. 3 (ANI): Both houses of parliament could not transact any business in the first half of the day, as the opposition members raised an uproar over the price rise issue, leading to an adjournment of both houses twice.

In both houses, as soon as the session started, opposition lawmakers were on their feet, demanding roll back in fuel prices.

The heated exchanges forced Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and the Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to initially adjourn the houses till 12 p.m., and subsequently till 2 p.m.

The BJP said the government should immediately roll back the hike in fuel prices.

"As far as price rise is concerned, we are very clear and the country is also very clear, people want this hike to be rolled back. Even some of the parties which are supporting the ruling party UPA, they also requested the prime minister to rethink and then go for a roll back," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Meanwhile, the rollback in fuel price hike has been ruled out by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Terming the hike as necessary step, the government said that it would try and absorb the hike so that the burden does not fall on the common man.

The CPI-M, however, said it is not satisfied with government's contention that the price rise will help in higher growth.

"We are not satisfied with government's contention that the price rise will help in growth rate of the country. We have said the Congress-led government has failed on the front of price rise. Today every household is suffering from the price rise," Brinda Karat, senior CPI-M leader, said.

NDA convenor Sharad Yadav threatened build a consensus with all the opposition parties to evolve a programme on country-wide shutdown.

"We are trying to build consensus with all the parties to evolve a programme for country-wide shutdown on price rise. We are expecting people of the country to associate with our movement," he said. (ANI)