BJP MPs demand NC Motion against Speaker

New Delhi, May 23: Accusing Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee of indulging in 'partial and discriminatory' attitude, the BJP MPs today demanded the Parliamentary Party to move a no-confidence motion against him.

A demand to this effect was made by several BJP MPs at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting presided over by former Prime Minister and NDA Chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee even as the Parliament session is set to wind up its session today.

Addressing newspersons after the meeting BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said although the demand was made by several sections of the BJP MPs, the party had not taken any decision on the issue. The party will discuss the issue with the NDA allies.

He said the MPs were angry that the Speaker was not giving enough opportunity for the legislators to express themselves against the UPA government, Congress and the Left Parties even on important issues. A motion expressing lack of confidence was necessary, the members felt. They also questioned the Speaker's role in the Office of Profit issue.

The party also decided that it would oppose the recommendation of the Privileges Committee which had recommended admonition of former Lok Sabha Secretary General for some of his observations while participating in the television channel debate.

Four of its party MPs have written to Chairman of the Privileges Committee to withdraw its recommendations made against Dr Kashyap, a noted expert in the Constitution as well as Parliamentary roceedings. The party MPs were told that they would be closing the case with a warning that he be careful in his observations about the conduct of Parliament, but the final report presented recommended admonition of the former Lok Sabha Secretary General.

UNI