Speaker silent on quit demand, chairs all-party meet, LS

Defying a CPI(M) order to quit his post, the Speaker called the meeting of floor leaders of parties to decide on the confidence motion.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday was silent on mounting pressure from his CPI-M party to quit his post before the trust vote and took his chair in the Lok Sabha shortly after convening an all-party meeting.

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A day after the CPI(M) took a tough stance in making it clear to Chatterjee to quit his post before the confidence vote. The Speaker went about his scheduled business in the Lower House.

"It is nice to see a full house," said 79-year-old Chatterjee in an attempt to inject humour after he took the Speaker's Chair to preside over the two-day Special session.

"It is an important session," said Chatterjee while asking some agitated members to keep quiet.

Before going to the Lok Sabha, the Speaker presided over the meeting of the floor leaders of parties to discuss issues relating to the trust vote being sought by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

When asked whether he still remained the Speaker, Chatterjee evaded a reply as he entered Parliament House.

The issue of resignation of Chatterjee from the post did not figure in the meeting of floor leaders.

Basudeb Acharia, leader of CPI(M) in Lok Sabha, whose party has demanded that Chatterjee should quit in the wake of the Left withdrawing support to the government, did not raise the issue.