By IANS,
New Delhi : The government will look into the oil price issue following the steep fall in global oil prices, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee told parliament Friday.
“We will look into it. We will come back to the house with a reply,” Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha when Samajwadi Party (SP) members disrupted proceedings during zero hour.
“Prices of crude oil fell steeply in the international market. Farmers are the worst sufferers. The recent oil price cut is not sufficient,” said SP’s Ramji Lal Suman, who raised the matter in the house during zero hour.
Members of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Lok Janasakti Party (LJP) joined the SP to demand a response from the government.
The Left parties and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also supported the demand.
However, members of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remained mute spectators.
Earlier, when the SP members raised the issue in the beginning of the question hour, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee assured them that they would be allowed to raise the matter during the zero hour.
When the issue was raised during the zero hour, the government refused to give a reply.
Provoked by the government’s lack of response, the members from SP, Left parties, RJD and the TDP continued their protest. The speaker adjourned the house till 12.45 p.m.
“The government should consider the feeling of the house. They should come with a statement,” Suman urged the government when the session re-started.
“As the leader of the house (Pranab Mukherjee) is present, he should come up with a reply,” SP members demanded amidst an uproar.
Mukherjee’s assurance that the government would come back to the house with a reply pacified the members.