Speaker annoyed over members paying scant respect to Chair

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today threatened to resign as he was unhappy over frequent interruptions of the proceedings and paying of little respect to the Chair.

"What job have you given me? I want to get rid of this job now," Mr Chatterjee said while Members raising the issue of attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, wanted to speak out of turn and paid no heed to the repeated pleas by him to bring about a semblance of order in the House.

So exasperated was the Speaker that at one point of time he observed that they were reducing the House into a 'place of tamasha', adding "it is a farce that anyone, anytime can get up and dictate to the Chair." Mr Chatterjee said he had always allowed all issues to be raised by the Members. "Can they cite any instance when I have denied them a chance to speak," he said. But their behaviour today was regrettable, he added.

Last week also, annoyed over Members rushing to the well to demand waiver of loans for farmers, Mr Chatterjee observed: "You are working overtime to finish democracy. It is a matter of great sorrow...That you are not willing to work." UNI KAS RP AS1902