Lok Sabha Adjourned Twice As Opposition Protests Hike In Fuel Prices

Opposition members on Tuesday disrupted the proceedings in the Lok Sabha by staging vocal protests over hike in fuel prices and other issues, forcing two successive adjournments in the House.

As soon as the House met at 11 am, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and DMK's TR Baalu demanded a discussion on the hike in fuel prices, which were raised 13 times in the last two weeks.

As Speaker Om Birla continued with the Question Hour, members of the Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, Left parties stormed the well of the House and raised slogans against the Modi government. Shiv Sena and NCP members too joined the opposition protests.

TRS members too were in the Well of the House, waving placards and raising the issue of paddy procurement in Telangana.

As protests continued, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.

Similar scenes were witnessed when the House reassembled at noon. As BJP member Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the chair, took up the Zero Hour, opposition members were in the Well of the House once again, raising slogans demanding roll back of fuel price hike.

Mr Agarwal adjourned the Lok Sabha proceedings till 2 pm as opposition protests continued.

Petrol and diesel prices were on Tuesday hiked by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates in the last two weeks to Rs 9.20 per litre.

Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 104.61 per litre as against Rs 103.81 previously, while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 95.07 per litre to Rs 95.87, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers.

Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation.

This is the 13th increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)