The Opposition NDA is in a perplexed state over Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s decision to refer as many as 32 MPs to the privileges committee.

Although a section within the Opposition coalition wants to stage  a demonstration against the Speaker’s move, a bigger segment is exercising patience.

They are saying that the Opposition should not be seen as questioning the ruling of the presiding officer of the House.

‘Unruly behaviour’

While this is not the first time that the Speaker and the BJP-led Opposition are having a run-in, the senior leaders of several NDA partners are said to be in favour of the privileges committee to take a view on the “unruly behaviour” of their MPs.

Meanwhile, the NDA, sources said, was upset over the Speaker’s action in referring their MPs to the committee.

This will be the first meeting of the NDA to discuss the issue as the House was adjourned for four days in view of May Day.

Hussain in dock

Former Union Minister Shahnawaz Hussain, who is among the five BJP MPs whose cases have been referred to the committee, said that the meeting is expected to decide the future strategy on the issue. Hussain said that he was surprised to see his name among the unruly MPs when the Opposition was raising the issue of price rise in a big way over the government’s failure to check rising prices.

Asserting that members could raise such issues in Parliament, he said that the Opposition would not compromise on the issue of price rise.

Not apologetic

Justifying the protests in the House, Shiv Sena, whose two MPs are in the dock in the matter, said that the party would not tolerate “injustice”.

Party spokesman Sanjay Raut said that whatever was done in the House was for “raising a burning issue”.
He added that “we are not apologetic about it”.