Speaker withdraws notice against 'unruly' MPs

New Delhi, May 5: A finger-on-lips style protest by the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) today resulted in Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee withdrawing his notice to send 32 MPs to the Privileges Committee for their unruly behaviour.

Chatterjee was persuaded to revoke his decision by Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Mukherjee and Advani assured the Speaker that there would be no disruptions by any of the party members. After getting the assurance of a smooth conduct of the House by the Opposition, Chatterjee said he was withdrawing the notice. Earlier in the morning, the NDA had decided to remain silent in the Lok Sabha for four days in protest against the decision. Chatterjee on April 24 had referred to the Privileges Committee cases of as many as 32 Lok Sabha members mainly belonging to the opposition for "disorderly conduct" in the House.

The BJP members whose cases had been referred to the Privileges Committee for "examination, investigation and report" included Shahnawaz Hussain, P S Gadhavi, M A Kharabela Swain, Kishan Singh Sangwan and Kiran Maheswari

Chandrakant Khaire, Kalpana Ramesh Narhire (both Shiv Sena), Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sukhdeo Singh Libra (both SAD), as also Tathagatha Satpathy (BJD) and Brajesh Pathak (BSP) were also included in the list.

ANI