Vinaasha kaale vipareetha buddhi, goes the old jungle saying. And nothing illustrates that better than the demand of CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat that Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee quit his post since the Left parties have withdrawn support to the UPA government.
Should Chatterjee stay? Should Chatterjee quit but not vote? Should Chatterjee quit and abstain? Or is a Speaker above all this once he becomes a Speaker? E.P. Unny captures the speaker’s dilemma in the run-up to the trust vote in today’s Indian Express.
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Newsweek International editor Fareed Zakaria on CNN-IBN:
“If the nuclear deal doesn’t go through, I think it limits India’s ability to play a role as a major power because on a crucial issue, India will be outside the tent and always be outside the tent in a furtive status.
“The beauty of the nuclear deal is that it brings India into the tent, into the camp of great powers, firmly and irrevocably and that’s why it’s so important for the Government to grasp it, for it to be taken as a national project. There’s obviously enormous economic benefits but I think at the strategic level, this is the single most important reorientation of India in the 21st century.”
Somnath Chatterjee has discharged his duties well. It looks like Comrade Prakash Karat is all set to clip Somnath Chatterjee’s wings.
Nice cartoon..Better is Somnath stays. If its a tie, he should quit than take sides
Somnath Chatterjee is a speaker. Speakers are supposed to be impartial. Not take sides. Neither for UPA or for NDA
Hence he should abstain.
Since speakers are supposed to be neutral and should not step down on the ever changing positions of the party they belong to why should Somanath Chatterji apply any different yardstick in this case?
This will be a real test to Chatterji.
These marxists are crazy!
I completely agree with the newsweek editor.
Manmohan Singh has shown intellectual depth and a grand vision to bring about a successful understanding with the americans on the nuclear deal. For four years, he and his colleagues and other officials have slogged , puring over minute details over details, neotiating endlessly to make sure India gets its fair share, bargaining ceaselessly, to make sure India Finally gets what she deserves.
The BJP neither had the expertise or the skill to get us such an awesome deal.
It is India’s moment of glory. Let us not allow cheap politics to play with the nation.
Jai Bharat Mata. Jai Nuclear deal. Jai Manmohan Singh.
The UPA & the Congress must have offered him some thing bigger!
It may not be surprising if he moves over to the congress bench later.
yen churumuri, sans kriT quoting, god name taking, to top it, taking stance and all.
barutte 16 seaTu yaake chinte? heLi beku andre raayar maThdalli pooje geeje maaDsaNa. ello keLidde, katthe-gu kothi-gu maduve maaDsi noora vondu tengin kaayi obba baDa brahmnige daana maaDidre seaTu sigguttante. maaDsoda heLi. naaDiddu oLLe muhurta ide.
I thought the speaker usually does not have the voting right since he has to be impartial in the house.
As regards, Fareed Zakaria, take his observations with bags of salt, since it only benefits the US companies with huge orders for old and obsolete nuclear reactors, which are highly suspect in their capability.
But as per latest update Somnath is going to resign from CPI after the trust vote is taken.
Mayura,
Point taken! Even then is there any way India can get these ‘obselete nuclear reactors’ without the Nuclear Deal?:)
Resign or Sign on the dotted lines.
If CPI(M) issues a fiat for its flock to vote against in trust vote what happens to Speaker’s action? Logically, he attracts defection law and automatically stands debarred since he belongs to CPI(M). It is quite a piquaint situation. All sorts of interpretations are possible.