Tuesday, March 1 2005 14:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: After Lok Sabha was adjourned over political developments in Goa; Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today (Mar 1, 2005) sought cooperation of all parties in smooth running of the House.

Observing that he favoured discussion on all subjects, provided they were raised under the rules, Chatterjee said that Goa, "is an important issue and should be debated on the floor of the House. But a discussion cannot be held against rules".

Maintaining that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Opposition's notice for adjournment motion was "not admissible" under the rules; he opined it could have been discussed under other rules without adjourning the normal business.

The Speaker, who met Opposition leaders L K Advani and V K Malhotra, and Pranab Mukherjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad, representing the Government, after adjourning the House for 15 minutes earlier, said, "If the leaders do not want the House to run, I am put in a lot of agony as the Speaker. It is not my House alone, it is the House of the people and their elected representatives."

"I seek cooperation of all parties and their leaders. On my own, I will not adjourn the House unless the parties agree. The House cannot run properly without the cooperation of all," Chatterjee said.

Asked whether any undertaking was given by the Opposition to allow the House to run smoothly in future, the Speaker said, "Undertaking was given when all of us, including the Chair, took oath under the Constitution, which says the House should run properly".

In his observations in the House, Chatterjee said that the House could be adjourned to take a matter of "urgent public importance" only if the adjournment motion did not deal with any matter under adjudication in a court of law or concerning Governor.

He also recalled that on November 27, 1996, then Leader of the Opposition Atal Bihari Vajpayee had served an adjournment notice on the alleged "unconstitutional" action of the Uttar Pradesh Governor and continuation of President's rule in the State. Since the matter was sub judice, the notice was disallowed, the Speaker said.

"In view of these facts, I withhold my consent to the notice of adjournment motion" on the Goa issue, Chatterjee said.