By Murali Krishnan, IANS
New Delhi : Running a coalition government is difficult but to preside over a disparate house and to maintain a modicum of decorum is a harder task especially when many parliamentarians are keen to jump the gun to be heard.
Many a time in the past, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has given vent to his anguish and even offered to step down when matters have gone out of hand.
It was not as if there was bedlam when the house assembled Thursday but there were enough indications yet again of complexities of supervising proceedings and that too after a two-day standoff over discussing violence in West Bengal’s Nandigram that led to the paralysis of both houses of parliament.
During question hour Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP M.A. Kharabela Swain was keen to know how the government was absorbing the financial burden with crude oil prices going through the roof, hitting nearly $99 a barrel, which was promptly disallowed by Chatterjee.
But a persistent Swain did not give in and wanted to know why his supplementary question was irrelevant especially when the house was discussing issues of oil security in the country.
Chatterjee’s fiat annoyed Swain who continued to protest, refusing to take his seat.
“I will go away from here. I won’t have anyone challenge my decision. If all leaders decide I won’t be here,” warned Chatterjee.
But that admonition failed to assuage a defiant Swain who promptly retorted, “The country knows how you treat us in parliament.”
As business veered to the calling attention motion of Communist Party of India (CPI) MP, Gurudas Dasgupta on the high cost of health services and the need to evolve laws to regulate private nursing homes, there was further tumult.
“What is going on?” queried Chatterjee when several MPs got up almost in unison to protest when Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss got up to clarify an issue.
But it was when Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Devendra Prasad Yadav got up to say something that the speaker had to remind the members that their actions in the house were up for public scrutiny.
“I hope the people are watching you perform. They will decide before the next election. Why do you think the house television is on right through?” he said.
When BJP MPs Shahanawaz Hussain and Vijay Kumar Malhotra got up to know what he meant, Chatterjee reiterated his announcement.
“What I am saying is right.”