CHANDIGARH: Former LokSabha Speaker SomnathChatterjee, who set an example by refusing to follow the party line to vote against the Congress-led government in a crucial July 2008 confidence vote, on Tuesday strongly differed with the handling of the abusive CD row involving Punjab minister BikramMajithia, saying that the expunging of assembly proceedings should not have come as an "afterthought".
The outspoken former CPM MP from West Bengal was replying to a query on the allegation of bias by the state Congress against Punjab speaker Charanjit Atwal, who was Chatterjee's deputy during the UPA government for a period of four years between 2004 and 2009.
"If I were the Speaker, I would have expunged the proceedings with such unruly people and unparliamentary language being used there and then. I wouldn't have waited for 24 hours, thinking that it would embarrass someone later," Chatterjee told TOI over phone from West Bengal.
Atwal had ordered expunging of the abusive words from the assembly records on December 21 last year, 24 hours after they were telecast live on two TV channels, including the one owned by the ruling SAD family and social media like YouTube.
The opposition Congress had last Sunday thrice screened the 60-second TV grab on two separate 42-inch screens at a rally in Muktsar, forcing Atwal to rush to Delhi and mull legal action against those showing the expunged proceedings.
Chatterjee, however, did not agree with the Congress protesting against the Speaker for taking assistance from legal experts in Delhi or elsewhere.
"Irrespective of the charges of bias, the Speaker is well within his rights to issue gag orders against public screening of the CD. If the entire proceedings or a part of it is expunged, it cannot be disseminated in the media," he said.
He said the supreme authority lies with the speaker on what action to be taken in case his orders are defied. He refused to comment on Atwal's personal conduct.
"I have mentioned about his (Atwal's) impartial behaviour in my book. It's not fair to comment on his credentials now that he's not working with me anymore," he said.
Speaker should have expunged abusive proceedings right away: Somnath
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Speaker should have expunged abusive proceedings right away: Somnath
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Speaker should have expunged abusive proceedings right away: Somnath
