Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Wednesday rejected the Opposition demand to discuss price rise under an adjournment motion that would entail voting after the debate.
"An adjournment motion can be attracted only when the government does not discharge its constitutional or legal duties.
That isn't the case here," Kumar ruled.
But since the issue was important, she said she would consider notices given for other forms of discussion on it.
An angry Opposition slammed the government for failing to check prices, stalled proceedings and forced adjournment of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the second consecutive day.
The parties have now devised alternative plans to corner the government on prices.
The BJP will march to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday to present President Pratibha Patil with a memorandum signed by "millions" to protest rising prices.
"We will be more aggressive than we were today," said Gopinath Munde, BJP's deputy leader in Lok Sabha.
"The Speaker's decision was disappointing."
The BJP will also talk to other Opposition parties for a joint strategy on Thursday.
The Left will stage a dharna outside Parliament.
"We don’t want to hold up proceedings," said CPI-M's Basudeb Acharia and CPI's D Raja.
The Opposition's separate plans showed that while they are united in protesting price rise, they want to put their individual stamp on how to go about it.
Even Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party—which support UPA from outside —reportedly don't want to be seen as waging their struggle with BJP.
On its part, to show the UPA isn't insensitive to price rise, Congress allies S Bandhopadhya (Trinamool Congress) and P D Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front) gave notices for a debate under Rule 193, which doesn't requir evoting.
Wednesday's proceedings began on a noisy note until the Speaker allowed leaders to argue why their adjournment motion should be admitted.
"The common man is suffering and we want to censure the government," said Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said the adjournment motion couldn't be allowed as there was no failure of the government.
When the House reassembled after lunch, the Speaker gave her ruling.