The petroleum price hike triggered an uproar in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with almost the entire Opposition staging a walkout after describing the decision as 'totally unwarranted' and demanding an immediate roll back.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, opposition members said people were anguished over the 'midnight action' of the government on the eve of the Budget session. They described the decision to increase the fuel prices as a 'mockery' of democracy and when Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan rejected their demand, members belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India - Marxist, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Samajwadi Party staged a walkout.
CPI- M leader Prasanta Chatterjee said the government had implemented the increase at a time when the country was in the grip of recession and demanded its withdrawal as the hike would only push up the prices of essential commodities.
BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu questioned the urgency behind the decision and said people were anguished over the 'midnight action'. He demanded that the government should reconsider the hike. "This is not the way to treat Parliament," he said.
SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said the decision was against the wishes of the people. Deploring the 'totally unwarranted' hike, Communist Party of India leader D Raja said the increase will have a cascading effect on the prices of essential items.
He wanted to know what was the 'tearing hurry' to take the decision on the eve of the Budget session and demanded its rollback.
