Both Houses adjourned on opening day of Monsoon Session

New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) Both Houses of Parliament were today adjourned on the opening day of the Monsoon Session without transacting any business, as the unrelenting Opposition in the Lower House disrupted the Question Hour, demanding a discussion on the rise in prices of essential commodities.

The Upper House was adjourned immediately after paying homage to its sitting member Vasant Chavan (NCP) and those killed in the July 11 Mumbai blasts and Srinagar grenade attacks.

In the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA raked up the issue of price rise, demanding the suspension of Question Hour and a discussion on the matter.

Soon after Speaker Somnath Chatterjee read out the obituary references, BJP Deputy Leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the people of the country were reeling under severe inflation but the government was mute to their sufferings.

Shouting slogans, ''Jo mehnghai ko rok na saki, woh sarkar nikammi hai (The government which cannot control prices, has no right to rule)'', and ''UPA hai hai (Down with UPA government)'', the NDA members trooped into the well.

The Opposition members stepped-up slogan-chanting after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyanjan Dasmunsi said the Opposition's demand for a discussion should not be conceeded as it was disrupting the Question Hour.

The Speaker reminded the NDA members that they had assured him that they would not disrupt the Question Hour if their demand for the adjournment motion on the Mumbai blasts was met.

''I have conceeded to your demand, now you should allow the House to function,'' he said and even threatened to adjourn the House for the day if the Opposition members did not resumed their seats.

He said discussions on two issues cannot be allowed on the same day.

As the Opposition did not pay any heed to his request, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day at 1135 hrs.

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