'Speaker doesn't inspire confidence'

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday told Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, whom the NDA accuses of suppressing its voice, that he does not inspire as much confidence in the Opposition as he does in the ruling parties.

In a letter to Chatterjee, Vajpayee, who BJP sources said had his reservations initially over the Opposition's call to boycott the House, endorsed NDA's plans not to attend the Lok Sabha for a day as a mark of protest against the Speaker after the party put up a strong defence of the move.

BJP sources said the former Prime Minister indicated his disapproval of the House boycott call by arriving at a parliamentary party meeting that he was not planning to attend and reading out the letter in which the Speaker requested reconsideration of the move.

"His arrival at the meeting and reading out the letter showed he too initially wanted us to reconsider his decision," a party source said.

But the former Prime Minister changed his mind when his party colleagues insisted the Speaker has made them feel "hugely humiliated".

In his letter to Chatterjee, Vajpayee said:

Everyone who spoke (at the BJP parliamentary party meeting) agreed that the Opposition's contribution to Parliament's proceedings was crucial. But there was unanimity also that legislature proceedings can be smooth and constructive only if the presiding officer is able to inspire as much confidence in the Opposition as he is able to do in the ruling parties. A stark reality is that this situation is totally absent in our House.

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The former Prime Minister also said the entire NDA was feeling disappointed over the manner in which the House was at present being run.

"I may add that confidence in one's fairness and objectivity has to be commanded; it cannot be demanded," Vajpayee told Chatterjee.

"I regret, therefore, the decision taken by the NDA last evening stands," he added.

Vajpayee, however, told reporters after the party meeting there would be no further boycott of the House. "The boycott will end today," he said.

The BJP circulated copies of Vajpayee's letter to the Press as the NDA stayed out of the House and held a one-hour sit-in on the Parliament compound conduct.

Led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, NDA members sat in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue facing Parliament's main gate.

Neither they signed their daily attendance register nor did they attend their daily meeting with the Speaker before the House assembled.

The Opposition leaders accused the Speaker of refusing them an opportunity to speak yesterday when the House witnessed an uproar over the leak of the Pathak authorityreport.

They also objected to the Speaker going through the listed business despite the din. MPs belonging to the BJP, Shiv Sena, BJD, Shiromani Akali Dal and the JD (U) wore gags during their sit-in.

In his brief comments, Advani told reporters that the Speaker's conduct had forced the NDA to boycott the House.

"We too do not like this kind of a move. But the NDA is compelled to do it because of the conduct of the Speaker," Advani said. "It's a collective decision of the alliance."