From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi led the Opposition's walkout in the Lok
Sabha on the opening day of the resumed budget session from
Monday after the Speaker disallowed an adjournment motion to
discuss the steep hike in the government-controlled prices of
wheat, rice, sugar, kerosene, cooking gas and fertilisers.

The Opposition's strategy to drag in some of the ruling allies
opposed to the hike, however, did not succeed as Speaker GMC
Balayogi did not permit Janata Dal member Devendra Yadav who
rose repeatedly to make known his party's stand in the matter
and other allies felt relieved for not being forced to speak.

The allies have been assured by the Prime Minister to consider
their concern at the price hike after Finance Minister Yashwant
Sinha is back in Delhi on Wednesday and as such they were not
keen on showing fissures within the ruling National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) by falling into the Opposition's trap.

The Opposition blocked the question hour for almost 20 minutes
to press for adjournment but Balayogi refused to oblige,
pointing out that he had rejected all adjournment motions and
still he can hear everyone only during the "Zero Hour."

He did hear out Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi as well as seven
others after the question hour was over, but he withheld his
consent to the adjournment on the ground that members would have
opportunity to raise the issue during debate on the motion of
thanks to the President for his address as well as during debate
on the Finance Bill.

The Opposition wanted the allies of the ruling front opposed to
the price hike to join them in pressing the government to roll
back the prices and Congress member Rajesh Pilot even clashed
with the Speaker for not allowing the members of the allies to
speak on the issue.

Pilot shouted: "In zero hour, they have right to speak. It is
the demand of Parliamentary democracy." The Speaker, however,
refused to yield as he said he had allowed only those who had
given notices for adjournment motion.

The Speaker did not allow Pilot to carry on his protest. "No,
no, I have to give my observations. They have not given notice."

And, as he overruled the adjournment, the Opposition members
created a pandemonium. Cogress deputy leader Madhavrao Scindia
was seen saying something and then suddenly Sonia Gandi jumped
to her feet and led the walkout, without uttering a single word.
He just waived the Congress benches and it was enough for them
to walkout, followed by other parties.

It was, however, a difficult moment for Samajwadi Party leader
Mulayam Singh Yadav to join the Sonia-led walkout or stay back
in the House and hence he made his own protest at the Speaker
overuling his adjournment to discuss the lawyers' strike and led
his group's walkout.

In her brief submission that the Government's attention can be
focused only through adjournment motion on the extremely serious
crisis created by its anti-poor policy, Sonia Gandhi said a
responsible and concerned government should have lightened the
burden of the poor instead of increasing it. END.
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