NEW DELHI, AUGUST 18: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today ruled that the article against him in the Pioneer newspaper constituted a gross breach of privilege of the Speaker and also of the House’’ but decided against accepting a privilege motion against the publication because it was beneath the dignity’’ of the House.
In a lengthy ruling on the privilege notices given by Ramji Lal Suman (SP) and several other members, the Speaker cited various sources to underline that the impugned article not only reeks of malice but is highly contumacious in its conception and in its contents as it deliberately accuses the Speaker of partiality and reflects on his character and actions as Speaker, which amounts to gross breach of privilege of the Speaker and also of the House.’’
Chatterjee decided not to admit the privilege notice but warned that any repetition of such articles would be dealt with sternly.
