Peeved Shoaib Iqbal threatens to resign as Dy Speaker

New Delhi, Nov 10 (UNI) Alleging discrimination, Assembly Dy Speaker Shoaib Iqbal today said he was willing to resign from his post if his raising issues in the House amounted to flouting of decorum.

Protesting against Speaker Prem Singh's disallowing him to put forth his views, Shoaib Iqbal walked out of the House, saying the attitude smacked of partisanship.

Iqbal, who wanted to raise the issue of putting up a potrait of country's first Education Minister Abul Kalam Azad in the House after the Question Hour, was disallowed by the Speaker who said his suggestion was good and he could talk about it in his chamber.

It would be discussed in the Speaker's Committee before some decision was taken, he told Iqbal.

Not satisfied with this and wanting to raise the issue in the House, which was ''an important issue of larger concern'', Mr Iqbal walked out saying the decision of the Speaker was uncalled for and unjustified.

''I am walking out in protest as I am not being allowed to speak by the Speaker who is playing a partisan role.'' He later told reporters that he would meet Sonia Gandhi on the treatment he was being meted out and if need be ''I would resign from the Deputy Speaker's post.'' Mr Iqbal also said he was pained at being called for indulging in 'indecorous behaviour' by the Speaker.

UNI AN VD MIR KP1935