PM clears air

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee over breakfast today to weed out all doubts that there was a confront...

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee over breakfast today to weed out all doubts that there was a confrontation between his government and the latter over the Presidential reference issue.

Sources said the Speaker called Singh for breakfast at his Akbar Road residence after the PM called him last night. Singh went for the meeting with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The PM, sources said, sought to dispel the notion that the Government was not 8216;8216;supportive8217;8217; of the Speaker8217;s moves 8212; the suggestion to refer the Supreme Court interim order on the Jharkhand Assembly case for a Presidential reference and the calling of the Speakers8217; conference.

With Singh himself making the move to 8216;8216;clear the air and misunderstanding8217;8217; between the Speaker and his Government, sources said, that once the dust settles on the Jharkhand issue, the Cabinet may consider the Presidential reference.

Chatterjee, quoting the PM, said: 8216;8216;He the Prime Minister said there was nothing against the Speaker and we appreciate your concerns. There is no confrontation or any such thing against the Speaker. It is for you to decide how you conduct your business.8217;8217;

When the Jharkhand controversy had peaked with the Government deciding against the Presidential reference, Chatterjee had said he not bothered about what the sarkar government does, that he would stick to his stand on, what he called, the 8220;judicial encroachment8221;.

Later, Azad, in reference to BJP8217;s no-confidence-motion-threat, said: 8216;8216;UPA is totally in support of the Speaker.8217;8217; Reiterating there were no differences, he added: 8216;8216;The Speaker had never made any demand for a Presidential reference, but only made a suggestion.8217;8217; Azad also said the Speaker, as the head of presiding officers, was well within his right to convene a conference of Speakers and this cannot be construed as 8216;8216;showing any disrespect to the judiciary8217;8217;.

Somnathspeak

Story continues below this ad

8226; Why should I continue to be used as a punching bag. I can say my wife told me if my conscience is clear, then you need not worry. I have decided to accept her advice. I say I will not leave under an artificially created cloud

8226; According to me the lakshman rekha was crossed. To me the Constitution is supreme. Neither the legislature or the Supreme Court is above it

8226; I am going through a political exile now. I am proud of my communist background8230;

8226; They can try to make me a villain 8212;PTI