Saturday, March 12 2005 22:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who took a dim view of the Supreme Court interim order on Jharkhand and suggested Presidential reference on it, today (March 12, 2005) said he had never stated the apex court's order should not be implemented.

"Supreme Court's order is binding on everybody. I have never said the order of the Court should not be implemented. Whether a review of the Court's order can be done through the Presidential reference was the option explored at the meeting of the leaders in Parliament," Chatterjee told a group of students in New Delhi.

Chatterjee felt that the Governor's decision to invite JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) chief Shibu Soren to form Government was "not proper", according to a Lok Sabha secretariat release.

Asked by the mass communication students from Nagpur University on the reported moves by the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) to bring a no- confidence motion against him, he reminded them of his statement in the House last December that he was "happy facing the Chair than occupying it".

During the interaction with the students at his residence, Chatterjee expressed dismay over the "innumerable versions" of his statements appearing in the media and asked them to be truthful while reporting.

"News must be true. Views can be anything. You need to articulate the problems of the suffering people of this nation," he advised the students.

In reply to a question on the 'Right to Recall', the Speaker said, "This is a must" and added that he had pleaded for this right to be given to the voters as part of the electoral reforms.

On corruption, Chatterjee said the menace, which stalked every sphere, was "not condemned in the manner it should be".

Maintaining that the people have the right to know, he said the move to telecast the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament was to make the people aware of what was happening in Parliament.

Observing that the youth were the future of the nation, Chatterjee said, "This is why I give more opportunity to the young members in Parliament cutting across party lines".