Government Agrees to Debate on Price Rise; Not Without Voting, Says Opposition

New Delhi: Little seemed to have changed in Parliament other than the seating arrangement - the BJP is now on the right of the Speaker, the Congress to the Left - as the Narendra Modi government's first Budget session began today. Slogan-shouting began right away and the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. (Live Blog)

On day one, the new government confronted an opposition united in its attack over the  rising cost of essentials. There was no Question Hour in either House as slogans drowned proceedings; a discussion began almost immediately in the Rajya Sabha, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also leader of the House, agreeing to question hour being set aside for the debate.

The Lok Sabha saw multiple adjournments, finally for the day, as the government and Opposition locked horns over how to debate the issue. On the same side today were such rivals as the Congress, Left and Trinamool Congress, along with other parties as they demanded a discussion under rules that have voting at the end of a debate.

The government agreed to a discussion, but without voting. Neither side blinked.

As opposition members rushed to the Well of the Lok Sabha shouting slogans, Congress number 2 Rahul Gandhi, seated in the third row, was seen rising to his feet and rolling up his sleeves. He even walked down the aisle and stood next to his mother Sonia Gandhi in the front bench, but stopped short of going to the Well or the Centre of the House.

Senior Congress MP Kamal Nath promised continued protests on "people's issues" as activists from his party also staged protests outside Parliament, at Jantar Mantar.

"Narendra Modi promised much and has delivered little," said Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.

"You cannot hold a one month old government responsible for price rise, " said Parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu, asking why the Congress was not letting a discussion begin in the Lok Sabha. The BJP alleges that the current economic problems are of the previous Congress-led UPA government's making. (Inherited a Very Bad Situation: Venkaiah Naidu to NDTV)

The Narendra Modi government has a brute majority in the Lok Sabha, but is at a disadvantage on numbers in the Rajya Sabha and can ill-afford to have the Opposition unite on key issues. Bills have to be passed by both Houses to become law.