Tuesday, May 3 2005 15:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today (May 3, 2005) made a fresh appeal to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) chairperson Atal Bihari Vajpayee to reconsider the opposition decision to boycott Parliament proceedings with an offer that permissible matters will be allowed to be raised in the House.

" I request you to please see that my friends in NDA join the House and take part in the proceedings," Chatterjee said in a letter to the former Prime Minister.

"So far as I am concerned, I have always assured that all matters, which can be permitted, will be allowed to be raised and discussed in the House", the Speaker said.

He further said, "I hope under your leadership, NDA will reconsider its decision and the Members will participate in the proceedings of the House".

The Speaker's appeal comes in the wake of the NDA's decision today to continue its protest in both Houses till the time the "Opposition is allowed to raise its voice on issues like corruption".

Taking exception to the continuance of Laloo Prasad as a Union Minister "despite charges being framed against him and Supreme Court passing strictures" on the Income Tax issue, a meeting of the NDA Parliamentary Party chaired by Vajpayee decided to review their boycott decision on a day-to-day basis.