New Delhi, July 28 - The Lok Sabha was adjourned for half-an-hour Tuesday as opposition MPs demanded a discussion on the rise in prices of essential commodities. They had earlier held a sit-in outside parliament on the same issue.

The lower house was adjourned till 11.30 a.m. soon after it assembled, as members of the Left parties, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) demanded that the Question Hour be suspended and the price rise be discussed.

CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharya said: 'we want Question Hour to be suspended.' Speaker Meira Kumar, however, rejected his demand.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said: 'The government is prepared for a structured discussion on the issue anytime but today the list is prepared for a discussion on the drought issue.'

He also said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to clarify the India-Pakistan joint statement in parliament Wednesday.

But Acharya again demanded that Question Hour be suspended and protesting MPs then marched towards the speaker's podium. Kumar pacified them and sent them back to their seats but they raised anti-government slogans and there was a heated exchange of words between the protesting MPs and Congress leaders in the Treasury benches.