Both the Houses of Parliament yesterday expressed concern over the current economic situation in the country. Responding to this in the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that he will make a statement in Parliament today.

Admitting that the country is faced with a difficult situation, he attributed it to several domestic and international factors. The matter raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Arun Jaitlely, was supported by other opposition parties.

In the Lok Sabha, raising the issue, Leader of the Opposition, Sushma Swaraj asked the Prime Minister to make a statement on the steep depreciation of the rupee, saying the currency is linked to the country's image. Several opposition members, including Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress, Basudeb Acharia of the CPI-M and Sharad Yadav of JD(U), also expressed grave concern over the country's economic situation.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath informed the House that the Prime Minister will make a statement today. The House witnessed three adjournments on the issue with the opposition insisting on the Prime Minister's statement yesterday itself.