LS Speaker rejects Opposition notice on N-deal

New Delhi, Aug 17: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today rejected the Opposition notice for moving a motion under Rule 184, seeking re-negotiation of the 123 agreement on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

However, the Speaker admitted another notice seeking a discussion under rule 193 on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's August 13 statement in Parliament on the 123 agreement. The debate will take place on Monday, subject to the availability of the Prime Minister, Mr Chatterjee said.

''...the (Opposition) motion in effect seeks to disapprove the agreement entered into and to require the government not to give effect to the agreement in its present form and contents, which the House has no competence to do and it will clearly amount to the House rejecting the agreement in its present form.

''This will amount to, in effect disapproval of the agreement already entered into by the government, which, in my opinion, is not within the competence of the House,'' the Speaker ruled, rejecting the notice given by Leader of Opposition L K Advani and his party colleague Santosh Gangwar and Mr Ram Gopal Yadav (SP).

The Speaker admitted the notice given by Mr Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Mr Rupchand Pal (CPI-M), Mr Ramjilal Suman (SP) and others.

UNI