Speaker non-committal on office of profit issue

New Delhi, May 9: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today remained non-committal whether he would be chairing the post-recess Budget session of Parliament starting tomorrow.

''There are well established conventions in the Constitution on the matter,'' Mr Chatterjee said when his attention was drawn to reports that he was reluctant to preside over the House.

Mr Chatterjee, who held a meeting with all party leaders on the eve of the Parliament session, however, said that he had been assured that both the Houses would be allowed to function smoothly.

The session, he said, only discuss the pending issues.

Mr Chatterjee, who is accused of holding an office of profit, had not attended the last days of the pre-recess session after the controversy arose.

UNI