Opp allows Dy Speaker elect, nothing beyond

JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee did inject a jarring note into the proceedings by obliquely criticising Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for his alleged unfairness towards the Opposition.

While felicitating the Deputy Speaker, Nitish Kumar reminded the Speaker that during his election, he (Chatterjee) had said that as a Leftist he would be partial to those sitting to his left — namely, the Opposition benches. ‘‘But yesterday, you did not show any leaning towards the left,’’ Kumar said, adding that he hoped he would do so in future.

Banerjee, who agitated against the Speaker both inside and outside the precincts of the Lok Sabha yesterday, said she hoped ‘‘Aap Opposition ko zaroor take care karenge’’. Pat came Chatterjee’s reply: ‘‘Thank you very much for reminding me of my duty’’.

A little later, newly-elected lone AIMIM member, Asauddin Owaisi, took the House by surprise. ‘‘I strongly take objection to the aspersions cast on the Chair … yesterday I was pained to hear certain remarks being made outside and now they are saying it inside,’’ he said. When Opposition members tried to intervene, Owaisi became even more forceful. ‘‘I am not a hypocrite,’’ he said.

Atwal said he looked forward to the cooperation of all ‘‘in conducting the business of the House smoothly’’.

Within minutes, though, there was chaos in the House. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee began reading out his statement on the Kargil issue but nothing could be heard in the din created by NDA MPs. The Speaker asked Mukherjee to table the statement and adjourned the House till 2 pm. He later adjourned the House for the day.