AIFB advocates LS Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's resignation

Kolkata, Jul 10 (UNI) All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) state secretary Ashok Ghosh today advocated for CPI(M) MP and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's demitting the post on moral grounds.

Yesterday all the four Left parties - the CPI(M), CPI, AIFB and RSP - submitted separate letters to President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil for withdrawing support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre to protest the Indo-US Nuke deal agreement and recent skyrocketing prices.

The Left had also urged the President to ask the Government for calling an special Parliament session and face the vote of confidence, '' Mr Ghosh told newspersons here.

He said Mr Chatterjee was made the Speaker on the recommendation of the CPI(M), and now it was his bounden duty to resign on moral grounds.

The LF parties had extended support from outside to the UPA Government on the basis of National Common Minimum Programme (CMP) agenda, but later on the Manmohan Singh Government defying the Left opposition cemented its relation with the George Bush administration.

Mr Ghosh said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's forwarding the draft text of India's specific safeguard agreement to the IAEA's Board of Governors was a shame for the countrymen.

'' We have taken a series of agitational programmes throughout the state against the Indo-US Nuke deal and price hike. We will hold street corner meeting on July 14, observe black day and later a central rally on July 28 the day the Nuke deal would take place in Vienna.

The party will also organise a rally at Dinhata of Coochbehar district on August six.

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