Six TMC MPs cycle to Parliament in protest against rising fuel prices

Protesting against the rise in fuel prices, six Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs arrived on bicycles for the first day of the Parliament monsoon session.

The six MPs — Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, Arpita Ghosh, Nadimul Haque, Shantanu Sen, and Abir Ranjan Biswas — also raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at one of the entrances to the House.

In an ANI video, the TMC MPs can be heard shouting “Narendra Modi jawab do” (Narendra Modi give us answers) and “Jawab tumko dena hoga” (You would have to answer), questioning the Prime Minister on the rising prices of petrol, diesel and LPG.

#WATCH | Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs cycled to the Parliament today in protest against the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG.#MonsoonSession pic.twitter.com/4NE72QhNjp

— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before the session began, asked the Opposition to ask difficult questions but also allow his government to answer them. “I would like to urge all the MPs and all the parties to ask the most difficult and sharpest questions in the Houses but should also allow the Government to respond, in a disciplined environment. This will boost the democracy, strengthen people’s trust and improve the pace of development,” he said.

The Opposition is expected to corner the government on three major issues: rising fuel prices, the continuing farmers’ agitation and management of the COVID-19 pandemic.