Protests against rising prices and VAT on cereals and dairy products rock India

Protests against rising prices and VAT on cereals and dairy products rock India.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha suffered multiple adjournments on Wednesday, July 20, as opposition members –for the third consecutive day– were agitated demanding a debate on the rise in prices and the increase in the rates of the Tax on Goods and Services.

In addition to the protests inside the two Houses, opposition lawmakers also held protests near the Gandhi statues in the Parliament complex.

The opposition protests the imposition of the GST on everyday items

Before the Houses met, members of the opposition gathered near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and protested against rising prices for basic goods. After staging similar protests over the past two days, MPs brought packages of dairy products – curd, milk and buttermilk – to show how the tax net has been widened to cover more everyday items.

In addition, protesters today displayed gas bottle cutouts with slogans and past and present tariffs to criticize sharply rising prices and higher GST rates.

They have also erected banners reading “Gabbar Singh Tax Strikes Again,” referring to the acronym GST. Prominent leaders who participated in these protests included Rahul Gandhi, Rajya Sabha Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge, and Lok Sabha Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

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Later, when the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions started, some of the opposition MPs carried the packages of dairy products into the Houses as well. Their anger was directed at the government’s decision to impose a 5% GST on basic food products such as rice, flour, cereals and milk.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had previously said that these items would not be taxed when sold in bulk, but only when pre-packaged and pre-labelled.

Talk about “Amrit Kaal

In the Lok Sabha, as soon as Question Time began, members of the opposition pushed for the price hike to be discussed. President Om Birla said that he would give them a chance during Zero Hour and demanded that they raise the issues in debates and not through protests.

MPs from Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and several leftist parties entered the House compound, shouting slogans.

This provoked a strong response from Birla, who was heard to say, “Only if you go to your seats will you have a chance to speak.”

He also commented: “The Chamber is to debate and raise issues, not to launch slogans and create chaos.” In addition, the President insisted that the display of banners was “a violation of the rules of the House” that damages “the prestige of Parliament.”

The President then told MPs: “In ‘Amrit Kaal’, people expect a meaningful debate from us.” The term “Amrit Kaal”, which refers to a time of great success according to Vedic astrology, has been used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other members of the Bharatiya Janata Party to indicate good governance.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said it was “not appropriate” for members to continue the protest when the Speaker of the House has secured a discussion later. “Are the protesting members interested in the discussions or not?” he asked.

Later, as the protests continued, Birla adjourned the session until 2pm.

When the House reconvened, PV Midhun Reddy was in the chair and dealt with Article 377 business. Amid strong calls from opposition members, some members of the Treasury benches raised issues relating to their constituencies.

The President suspended the session until 4:00 p.m.

The rise in prices has greatly affected the ordinary citizen

Also in the Rajya Sabha there were protests from opposition MPs on the issue of price hikes and GST. When the House met in the morning, Speaker M. Venkaiah Naidu allowed Opposition Leader Kharge to speak briefly on the issue he and others had notified under Article 267. Kharge spoke of how the common man, and especially the poor, have been affected by the increase in the price of basic products.

Naidu then said that the House Business Advisory Committee (BAC) had agreed to a debate on the price hike.

He said that if the opposition was not interested in a debate, he would suspend the proceedings. Opposition members demanded that the rest of the items on the agenda be dropped and the debate be taken up first.

“They can’t dictate anything to me,” said Naidu, and adjourned the session.

Protests disrupt Rajya Sabha and House is suspended twice

When the House reconvened, Vice President Harivansh called on Congressman Shaktisinh Gohil to speak on the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Illicit Activities) Amendment Bill of 2022.

Food inflation in India, unchecked

Before a reluctant Gohil could intervene, members of various opposition parties, including Congress, entered the pit and began shouting slogans with banners held high. The President urged them to return to their seats. He also urged Randeep Singh Surjewala of Congress not to take photos of the protests, saying this was against the rules.

While Union Minister Piyush Goyal stated that other deputies were also recording the proceedings, the protests continued. Gohil demanded that the House be put in order before speaking. Harivansh first urged Biju Janata Dal member Prashanta to speak on the bill, but soon after adjourned for the day.

Article republished from The Wire as part of an agreement between both parties to share content. Link to original article:https://thewire.in/economy/india-food-inflation-monthly-budgets-poor-households