New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Thursday rejected a motion of privilege against the writer and editor of a newspaper that had published an article criticising him, but expressed his strong condemnation and pointed to "reasonable restrictions" in freedom of the press.
"In view of the condemnation on the floor of the house and as it will be beneath the dignity of this great institution to take further note of the motivated imputations in the impugned article, I do not give my consent as requested and treat this matter as closed," Chatterjee told the Lok Sabha.
He was referring to an article in The Pioneer daily by Swapan Dasgupta titled "Speaker asks for trouble", on which many MPs put in notices for breach of privilege for casting aspersions on the chair and accusing the speaker of bias.
While rejecting the notices, the speaker, however, said: "... in future reckless and contumacious conduct indulged in by whosoever may be will be dealt with in the appropriate manner, so as to preserve and enhance the dignity of the highest public forum in our country."
Members of the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) had raised a privilege issue against the writer and the editor of the newspaper.
Only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed any action against the newspaper, citing freedom of the press.
The speaker ruled that the article "reeked of malice", was highly contumacious and its contents deliberately accused the speaker of partiality and reflected on his character and actions, which amounted to gross breach of privilege of the speaker and the house.
"Freedom of press, a cherished fundamental right in our country, is subject to reasonable restrictions, as contemplated by the constitution itself, and cannot and does not comprise deliberately tendentious and motivated attacks on the great institutions of this republic and their officers and functionaries.
"The freedom of press does not contemplate making reckless allegations, devoid of truth and lacking in bona fides. In the name of exercising freedom of press, there cannot be trial by the press, in which it plays the role of both the accusers and the judge."
He asserted that freedom of the press encompassed fundamental duties that called for showing respect to others and responsible behaviour.
