New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Government on Friday came under severe attack from his own party members, allies as well as the Opposition over the spiralling prices of essential commodities, with an ally seeking replacement of Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Chidambaram was pulled up by Congress backbenchers and MPs from the UPA partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Left as well as the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) over the relentless increase in the prices of essentials.
As Chidambaram was replying to a discussion over the issue, the Opposition BJP-led NDA members walked out of the house branding the Congress-led Government "anti-people".
In a rare instance where ideological differences got blurred, MPs from the Left Front led by the CPI-M, Samajwadi Party and BSP also stormed out of the house.
"This shows how isolated the Government is," CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta shouted as they were walking out.
Chidambaram was repeatedly interrupted while he was explaining that the cost-push and demand-pull inflation had pushed up the prices of sugar, pulses and food grains.
Member after member slammed the minister for the Government's apparent failing to control black marketers and forward trading.
"He has completely failed to check the prices. Why don't you remove this minister," an RJD MP from Barh in Bihar, Vijay Krishna asked the treasury benches.
Although Chidambaram tried to put up a brave face and continued his speech, the Finance Minister was visibly upset and disturbed when his own party colleagues stood up and criticised him vehemently.
"You are not doing anything to control the prices. Common people are in trouble. We have to face the people," shouted Congress members like Manvendra Singh and Harisingh Chawra from the backbenches.
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When Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs B K Handique tried to control the Congress MPs, Chawda - who was seated on the same row as Rahul Gandhi - was seen asking him, "What do you want us to do? We cannot speak in the party, we cannot speak in Parliament. Then I better resign and go?"
During the confusion, Rahul Gandhi kept his head bowed.
A hassled Chidambaram looked towards Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy and was heard asking, "What is happening? Is this the way our whips are handling the members?"
Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, who is known to have differences with Chidambaram, was later seen shaking hands with the protesting Congress MPs.
An embarrassed Chidambaram insisted that the Government was taking fiscal, monetary and supply actions to bring the prices under control.
He argued the wheat procurement could not meet the target this year and the "psychology of scarcity" led to the increase in price.
"India has never been self-sufficient in pulse production. This year the production in Myanmar, from where we import, was also hit," Chidambaram said.
The minister pointed out that sugar production was also hit as the farmers had switched over to other crops.
Saying that the Government was "acutely conscious" of the seriousness of the situation, he said the Parliament would have to pass a stringent law to regulate forward marketing. "The bill is pending before Parliament."
He asked the state governments to play a pro-active role in procurement and distribution of essential commodities. "I appeal to the state governments to take advantage of the Essential Commodities Act.
"Any government that comes to the Centre will be given clearance immediately. It will empower states to fix limit of stocks, address the issues of hoarding and price manipulation," he said.
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