Called dictator, Speaker offers to step down

The Lok Sabha proceedings on Thursday began on an unusual note with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee making a suo motu statement, offering to step...

The Lok Sabha proceedings on Thursday began on an unusual note with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee making a suo motu statement, offering to step down from office if members were 8216;8216;not happy with8217;8217; him. The provocation8212;the 8216;8216;charge8217;8217; of a dictatorial style of working tanashahi allegedly levelled against him during slogan-shouting in the House yesterday.

Chatterjee recalled that he had to 8216;8216;reluctantly8217;8217; adjourn the Lok Sabha 8216;8216;with great sorrow8217;8217; yesterday, due to the request of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani.

The Speaker said he had tried to discharge his duties to the best of his ability and requested leaders of all parties for help and co-operation in running the House. Though they had assured him their co-operation, the 8216;8216;House could not function yesterday after question hour.8217;8217; 8216;8216;Further, I have been accused of indulging in Tanashahi.8217;8217; 8216;8216;The chair,8217;8217; according to him, 8216;8216;does not have any prestige any longer and has become totally irrelevant and it has become a matter of agony for me to occupy this chair, which I never expected to do, far less solicited.8217;8217;

He said so long as he was there he would function according to rules of procedure. 8216;8216;If members are not happy with the present incumbent I shall have no regrets in leaving it.8217;8217; 8216;8216;I was happy facing the Chair than occupying it,8217;8217; he added.

Chatterjee said some 40 college students from Pune, who witnessed House proceedings yesterday, had asked him later that if Parliament did not function, what was future of parliamentary democracy in this country.

The House listened to the statement in utmost silence, but there was neither any outpouring of emotion, nor any expression of regret from any quarter. As the Speaker moved over to questions, normal business got underway.

BJP deputy leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra told reporters in reply to a question at the party briefing later, that the slogan8212;Tanashahi nahin chalegi raised by Opposition members in the House yesterday8212;was targeted at the Government. He said the NDA did not wish to discuss anything publicly about the Speaker, but it 8216;8216;has a lot to say on the manner in which the House is functioning8217;8217;.

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BJP sources said NDA leaders plan to meet Chatterjee to apprise him of their concerns. NDA would meet shortly to discuss the matter.