Age Correspondent
New Delhi, July 2: The Budget Session of Parliament began here on Thursday on a stormy note with Opposition members, joined by a few allies of the ruling UPA, criticising the government in the Lok Sabha for hiking petrol and diesel prices. In the Rajya Sabha the entire Opposition staged a walkout to protest the decision.
Apart from SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, UPA allies DMK and Trinamul Congress slammed the decision and asked for its immediate rollback. The government rejected the demand citing huge the under-recovery burden on the oil marketing companies (OMCs).
The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha as soon as it met with the SP and the Left parties leading the attack on the government for raising the price of petrol by Rs 4 and diesel by Rs 2. BJP, Shiv Sena, RJD, BSP and TDP members later joined them. The furore forced two adjournments during Question Hour. The House was later adjourned for the day when it met after the lunch recess.
Before the lunch recess, Speaker Meira Kumar allowed a one-hour discussion on the issue. As it got over, petroleum minister Murli Deora rejected the rollback demand saying the suggestions would be considered "suitably" in the case of a fall in international crude prices.
