Lok Sabha proceedings faced disruption for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as pandemonium on the price hike of LPG cylinder and petroleum products were again raised by the Opposition since the House assembled.
Slogans against the government policies and demands to roll back increased prices were the reasons behind the protest, leading to three adjournments of the House with limited business.
The ruckus led to the final adjournment of the lower house till Wednesday 11 a.m. soon after it assembled at 2 p.m. followed by two back-to-back adjournments earlier in the day — the first till 12 noon and the second till 2 p.m. Meanwhile, the House managed to take two questions during Question Hour.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh Meerut constituency, Rajendra Agrawal, who was on the chair, requested the Opposition members to let the House function as National Capital of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill 2021 was listed for the day for consideration and passage aimed at identifying the unauthorised colonies in Delhi for their regularisation.
As the joint Opposition led by the Congress along with Trinamool, DMK, NCP, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference as well as the BJP’s former allies Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Shiv Sena continued their agitation, Agrawal adjourned the House for the day, announcing next sitting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The second adjournment was announced by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Meenakshi Lekhi, on the chair then. Amid the uproar Lekhi allowed Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal to laid papers on the table listed against the names of concerned Ministers. Meanwhile, Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot moved the motion for the election of two members to the Central advisory board on disability.
Gehlot said: “In pursuance of clause (c) of sub-section (2) of Section 60 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the members of this House do proceed to elect, in such manner, as the Speaker may direct, two members from amongst themselves to serve as members of the Central Advisory Board on disability for the period till they cease to be the members of the House, subject to the other provisions of the Act and Rules”.
As the ruckus continued, Lekhi announced the adjournment of the House till 2 p.m.
Earlier, soon after the House assembled at 11 a.m. and Question Hour started, the joint Opposition sloganeering against the government continued. Congress leader of the House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the question that the Opposition was not being shown on television during the discussion in the House.
The Opposition members later trooped near Speaker’s podium and continued sloganeering even after Speaker Om Birla’s multiple requests to the parliamentarians to go back to their respective seats and let the proceedings move on.
Two questions were taken during the Question Hour despite the uproar, but the Speaker had to announce adjournment of the House till 12 noon as the Opposition did not heed to his requests.
It was the second consecutive day of the second leg of the Budget Session when the Opposition’s protest against the government on the fuel price rise continued. The House faced two adjournments on Monday when it met after the recess of the session.
