The House took up for special discussion the issue of rise in prices of essential commodities under a rule that does not require voting. Opposition parties said the people had ``rejected the BJP'' in the Assembly polls in three states ``on the price issue'', and accused the party of colluding with profiteers, blackmarketeers and hoarders.

They also rejected the government's argument that the price spiral, especially of onions and other vegetables, was due to the vagaries of the weather.

During a brief lull, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha dismissed the charge of fiscal mismanagement, saying inflation had gone up with respect to primary products and not manufactured goods.

Sinha was locked in a verbal duel with hispredecessor and Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) leader P Chidambaram who warned that rate of inflation could cross nine per cent if government failed to take remedial measures on the fiscal and monetary fronts.

Sinha, in his rejoinder, said the previous government, which Chidambaram was part of, had failed to control the fiscal deficit.

But Chidambaram said he ``would not buy the argument'' that inflation was up because of tomatoes, onions and potatoes alone. ``The management has been incompetent, inadequate and in many cases collusive with hoarders and traders.''

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandhopadhyaya blamed the price rise on government's ``negligence and mismanagement''.

Demanding immediate implementation of the Essential Commodities Act, he said the Trinamool Congress had warned the Centre about the price situation but ``was ignored.''

Congress leader Rajesh Pilot initiated the debate, saying the government could not control the spiralling prices because it was busy keeping a ``ricketycoalition'' intact.