BJP to discuss NC motion against LS Speaker with NDA allies

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) Incensed over the 'bulldozing' of the House procedures and the passage of a resolution admonishing former Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, the BJP today said it was in the process of discussing with NDA allies party MPs' demand to move a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for his ''partisan conduct''.

BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said today is the 'blackest day' in the history of Parliament because the motion reprimanding the former Lok Sabha Chief was placed on the agenda in a 'tearing hurry' bypassing all rules and procedures.

''This inappropriate practice is nothing but bulldozing the established parliamentary practices taking unnecessary advantage of the brute majority with the purpose of deriving sadistic pleasure,'' he said.

In a related development, all the four BJP members of the Privilege Committee resigned from the panel protesting against violation of democratic values and traditions of the parliamentary proceedings.

Mr Malhotra said the MPs had asked the Chairman of the Privilege Committee to withdraw its recommendation submitted to the Lok Sabha because the draft report circulated to the Committee suggested that the matter would be 'closed' after issuing a warning to Dr Kashyap to be careful in his observations concerning Parliament. However, this report was drastically changed and presented to the Lok Sabha and brought before the House without discussions with the Business Advisory Committee of the House.

The BJP's suggestion that this issue could be brought before the House in the next suggestion was also not accepted because it became a 'prestige issue'. ''This is not a question of indictment but concerns functioning of a democratic system, rules and regulations.

The right to freedom of expression is sought to be trampled needlessly by the majority,'' he said.

Asked which of the NDA allies would be with the BJP, Mr Malhotra said the Shiv Sena, the BJD and the Akali Dal were already against the way the House was conducted. ''We will talk to other allies,'' he said, indicating that parties like Janata Dal (United) may not be totally with the NDA on the issue.

Earlier in the day, there was a demand from the BJP MPs at the Parliamentary Party meeting that the party should bring a no-confidence motion against the Speaker for his 'partisan conduct' of the proceedings denying the Opposition the right to express their views against the UPA, the Congress and the Left Parties.

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