Parliament adjourned again, this time on cabinet nod to FDI

New Delhi: The government's decision to allow foreign equity in retail drew flak from opposition parties in parliament Friday, forcing the adjournment of both houses and ending the first week of the winter session without any business being transacted.

The Trinamool Congress, an ally of the ruling Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), led the protests in the Lok Sabha demanding the cancellation of the cabinet decision to allow up to 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retailing and 100 percent in the single-brand format.

Trinamool Congress members gathered near Speaker Meira Kumar's podium to protest the government decision as soon as the house met in the morning. They were joined in by MPs from the Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in flaying the government.

MPs from the Communist Party of India (CPI), their Left colleagues from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the BJP were carrying banners inside the house asking the government to reverse its decision on foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.

The house also witnessed demonstrations and slogan shouting in favour of separate statehood for the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. Congress MPs from the southern region were carrying placards demanding the government table the Telangana bill in the winter session.

The protests led to ruckus in the house and amid the din, Meira Kumar adjourned the house till noon after cancelling the question hour.

This is the fourth consecutive day of the winter session, which began Tuesday, when Question Hour had to be cancelled in the wake of opposition protests.

Parliament did not run on the first three days of the session due to protests over rising prices and the demand of separate statehood for Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh.

There was peace in the house when MPs reassembled at 12 and unanimously condemned the attack by a Delhi man on Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday.

However, the peace didn't last long. Noisy scenes returned soon after as MPs again protested the FDI decision.

Senior MP Munisamy Thambidurai who was presiding over the session adjourned the house till Monday. This brought closure to the first week of the winter session that ended up as a washout.

The winter session began Tuesday and the two houses have not transacted any business since then.

Protests were also witnessed in the Rajya Sabha where a united opposition led to bedlam against the FDI decision.

Shouting slogans against the government's decision, the protesting members created ruckus in the house forcing Chairman Hamid Ansari to first adjourn the house till 12 and then for the day.
 

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