New Delhi, Aug. 3: The price rise debate in the Lok Sabha today was overshadowed with smaller parties crying foul, alleging a pact between the government and the principal opposition BJP.
Led by the Left, parties such as BSP, SP and RJD took digs, particularly at the BJP, for striking a deal with the government to give it a facesaver over the crucial issue of price rise.
The government was said to have struck a cosy agreement with the BJP yesterday to draft the language of the motion in such way that the government too could support it. It was reflected in the resolution of the motion.
“The repeated discussions on price rise in the House, the burden of price rise on the common man is continuing. Expressing deep concern over price rise, this House calls upon the government to take immediate effective steps to check inflation that will give relief to the common man,” it read, but without any mention of censuring the government for failing to contain price rise.
Left and other smaller parties alleged the BJP had struck a deal with the central government.
“I compliment the government for its success to strike conciliation with the Opposition. The government talked only to the principal Opposition and it agreed to discuss price rise and not blame the government,” CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, adding that it was “a new trend of bipolarity”.
CPM and CPI have pressed for an amendment to the resolution and demanded it should blame the government for its “colossal failure” to contain price rise that had led to “unbearable suffering” of the masses. BJP appeared on the backfoot over the issue and struggled to reject the charge of bailing out the government.
It was alleged that the BJP refrained from censuring the government over price rise and agreed informally that it would not press for a vote by division after the debate. Reacting to barbs from the CPI leader, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha intervened in the House.
“I am satisfied with the resolution. But it was a mistake on the part of the government not to reach out to you (Left parties),” Sinha said.
Sinha sought to turn the tables on the Left and recalled how the government behaved similarly when it did not consult the BJP over the Indo-US nuke deal during UPA 1. “They did not talk to us on the nuclear deal.
“They talked only to you (Left) and left you in the lurch,” he said.
RJD MP Raghuvansh Prasad Singh also lashed out over the alleged pact. “Congress and the BJP have come together on an issue that concerns the poor.
“It is very unfortunate. Poor are being shoved aside,” Singh said, inviting angry protest from BJP benches. BSP’s Dara Singh Chauhan also joined the issue, although indirectly.
He said discussion over price rise has started under Rule 184 that entails voting, but wondered what will happen when it comes to an end, hinting at the pact between Congress and BJP.
BJP’s alleged soft attitude towards the government was found reflection in Yashwant Sinha’s speech. He refrained from a political attack on the government and focused on economics, blaming the government for adopting wrong policies to contain price rise. Government’s reply over the debate will come tomorrow.
