New Delhi: It was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who was not only marshalling the members of her own party in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, but was also seen instructing the MPs of other Opposition parties to refrain from participating in the Question Hour to register their protest against the rising petroleum prices.
Gandhi was unusually more proactive and practically led the Opposition protest against the rise in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders during the Question Hour.
As a result, the Congress MPs were louder compared to the members of other Opposition parties while protesting in the well of the House.
When National Conference (NC) MP Hasnain Masoodi stood up from his seat to ask a supplementary question to the question listed against his name, Gandhi was seen instructing him to sit down and he did so.
A similar scene was witnessed when the name of ET Mohammed Basheer, a leader of Congress ally Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), was announced by the speaker to ask his question and Gandhi ensured that he raised the issue of petroleum prices, instead of asking the question.
She was also seen giving instructions to the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and other party MPs who were protesting in the well.
The Congress president continued to sit in the House even after the Question Hour.
Meanwhile, NCP member Supriya Sule in Lok Sabha also took a swipe at the Centre over the hike in fuel cost after the recent Assembly polls, saying that elections every month are the best way to check rising prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.
Raising the issue of hardships being faced by women due to the increase in the price of cooking gas, she said during the Zero Hour that the BJP won the assembly polls in four out of five states where people stood in queues to vote for it.
But soon after the polls concluded, the prices went up, she said.
Only elections can keep prices of fuel under control, Sule said and sarcastically requested the central government to hold polls every month.
While polls will keep the ruling party busy, it will ensure prices of fuel items remain under control, she said.
Hitting out at the government, she said it patted its own back when Ujjwala Yojna was launched to provide free gas cylinders to women. But now, the same women are facing problems due to sky-rocketing prices of cooking gas, the NCP leader said.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also demanded that the government roll back prices of petrol, diesel and LPG.
He claimed that in the name of the rise in international crude prices, the government has hiked excise duty to earn revenue.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, he also claimed that the UPA government had ensured that the common man is not hurt due to rise in prices of crude.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for around 20 minutes as opposition members protested in the House against the rise in fuel prices.