New Delhi: Terming the protests over price rise by the opposition parties a "mere hoax", Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi Friday said the parties were "violating democracy" by disrupting both houses of Parliament.
"This protest is a mere hoax to show people that they are fighting, to gain media attention particularly demanding the discussion under an adjournment motion and voting. If there is a disagreement we can discuss," Ravi told reporters.
He said that while price rise is a burning issue, it is to be discussed but "not under demands made by the opposition parties".
"These disruptions don't help. This is violation of democracy. Democracy is about agreement and disagreement not about threatening. These protests are tactics to threaten the government not to control the prices," Ravi added.
Citing that protests against price rise is not new, he said: "Even in the past, since (former prime minister) Jawaharlal Nehru's period, we have had a series of debates and protests on this issue by us (Congress) as well as other parties and successfully addressed the issue. Then why now these demands?"
The opposition stalled parliament for the fourth successive day Friday, forcing repeated adjournments of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over demands that the price rise issue be discussed under an adjournment motion that entails voting.
The government says it is prepared for a discussion on the issue but not as an adjournment motion but the opposition is insistent on its demand. This has meant that parliament has not been able to transact any real business on the four working days of the monsoon session that began Monday. The two houses had been adjourned on the opening after obituary references to former members who had died in the inter-session period.
IANS
First Published: Friday, July 30, 2010, 16:02