BJP MPs demand no-trust motion against Somnath

The BJP Parliamentary Party want motion be moved against him for his alleged "questionable role".

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Tuesday came under the scanner in the BJP Parliamentary Party with several MPs demanding that a no-confidence motion be moved against him for his alleged "questionable role".

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The BJP Parliamentary Party meeting was chaired by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and attended among others by Leaders of Opposition in Parliament LK Advani and Jaswant Singh, besides party President Rajnath Singh.

Party sources said the BJP MPs took strong exception to the manner in which the former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap was sought to be admonished for his remarks against the Speaker in a television interview.

They also objected to Chatterjee releasing a book on 'Office of Profit' on Monday, an issue, they said, in which the Speaker "himself was involved."

Some of the MPs also alleged that the Speaker had released a book on Nepalese Communists a few days back.

Following the demand from MPs for a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, it was decided that the Leaders of the party in both Houses would discuss the issue with their counterparts in other parties, the sources said.

When asked about the demand made by the MPs, BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman VK Malhotra merely said, "several MPs questioned the role of the Speaker. They were very upset about the manner in which the former Secretary General is sought to be admonished without any notice or reference in the Business Advisory Committee.

"The MPs were angry that anybody questioning the ruling UPA or the Speaker is sought to be terrorised and bulldozed."