Soaring foodstuff prices rock Indian Parliament

NEW DELHI—Price hike issue rocked the Indian Parliament on Wednesday as the opposition parties including BJP and also the pro-government Left Parties criticised the government for its failure to arrest price spiral, particularly in food items which has hit the commonman in India.
In response to the criticism in Lok Sabha, the Indian Finance Minister P Chidamabaram warned of tough measures to arrest price hike. He criticised cement and steel industry of entering into cartels to exploit consumers. Amid a walk-out by the opposition and Left parties on the issue, he blamed rise in international prices of commodities such as wheat, rice, edible oil and metals and speculative activities in the market for the price spiral.
The government will not hesitate to sacrifice revenue to control prices, he added. Meanwhile, the BJP asked the Congress-led government of United Progressive Alliance to take the responsibility of price hike and resign The main Opposition party also announced plans to intensify its agitation.
BJP leader L K Advani said the government should control the prices, else quit because it has badly affected the commonman. The Left Parties which have been supporting the government for the last four years also criticised it on the issue. Gurudas Dasgupta, leader of Communist Party of India said its experiment of backing the UPA might have failed.
He said that it was not proper for the government to take shelter behind the global price rise while black marketeers and hoarders were having a field day in the country.

—Agencies