Speaker Somnath blasts MPs again

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s admonition seems to have no effect on MPs. He expressed his exasperation again on Monday as some members of parliament continuously interrupted the proceedings, thereby defying the chair during the question and zero hours.

Chatterjee, who had last week admonished the law makers saying that they “are working overtime to finish democracy” in the country, complained on Monday that the House was becoming a place of “tamasha”. “What job have you given me? I want to get rid of this job now,” Chatterjee remarked amidst an uproar and regretted nobody was willing to listen to the Chair.

“It is a farce? Anyone, anytime can get up and dictate to the Chair,” he said, adding, “not a single member can cite any issue that I have not allowed, yet you do this.” An anguished Speaker made the observation when a debate on attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra saw a heated exchange between NDA and UPA members. The Speaker had to adjourn the House briefly thrice in the wake of the ruckus. The chair had to repeatedly expunge a number of unparliamentary expressions by members of the Shiv Sena, the RJD and the JDU.

On Monday, when the House assembled, Chatterjee was in a jovial mood. He lauded the Indian team’s victory over Australia in the first match of the finals of one-day triangular series at Sydney on Sunday. While cheering the under-19 cricket team that won the world cup, Chatterjee told MPs that he congratulated the team “because they did good work”. “Go to your seats and do some good work,” he told members who had come to the front row to make themselves heard.

When TDP member Yerran Naidu continued to interrupt him, he said: “Mr Naidu everyday you are disturbing the House. You cannot dictate..do you really need a chair?” When RPI member Ramdas Athwale spoke without his permission, Chatterjee said, “Mr Athwale, I have to take action. The House has become a place of tamasha.”