Thursday, December 22 2005 14:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today (Dec 22, 2005) pulled up Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar for coming late in the House as his subject had been taken up during Question Hour.

"The matter has been taken by the Chair very seriously," Chatterjee told Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee.

The Minister was allowed to reply to a question only after he tendered a written apology to the Speaker as well as to the House.

"I offer my unqualified apology for entering late in the House, I deeply regret this," Aiyar said.