Baalu, inflation to keep mercury level high in Parliament

With Shipping Minister T R Baalu episode coming towards the end of the week just gone by, parliamentary mercury is set soar like anything once again from Monday.

The opposition parties and the Left Front have got another hot issue, besides inflation to corner the Congress-led UPA government in the Parliament. The rise in inflation after a minor dip for the week ending on April 12 is, however, supposed to remain the top issue throughout the session, despite the "new issue" of the Union Minister seeking favour for his sons' companies.

Though, the NDA leaders have not yet finalised the strategy to be adopted on the floor of the Houses, but the issues to corner the government are fixed. Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra hinted that the decision on whether the NDA would bring a motion against the Minister would be taken up during the meeting scheduled for Monday morning.

The Shipping Minister's issue has already disrupted the proceedings in Upper House on Thursday and Friday. The BJP has sought an explanation from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as to why the PMO wrote letters asking for early supply of gas to the companies owned by Baalu's son.

The disruption by the opposition, particularly by the BJP, the Samajwadi Party and the AIADMK saw some very tense scene in the Rajya Sabha. It also led to removal of an AIADMK MP under Rule 255, which was invoked for the second time only in the history of Parliamentary democracy in India. The parties also demanded resignation of T R Baalu, who, however, has refused to resign saying, "There was nothing wrong in it."

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