Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday said that his intention was 'not to punish anybody per se' while proceeding against 32 opposition Members of Parliament for their disorderly conduct.
"I mentioned that I am extremely upset ... my intention is not to punish anybody per se. I am only saying that to see that Parliament functions," Chatterjee told reporters outside Parliament, after the deadlock on the issue was resolved at an all-party meeting, convened by him.
Chatterjee said that he told the leaders that the MPs could raise any issue they like. "You will embarrass the government, but it is not the duty of the Speaker to extricate the government from any problem or to save the government. Let the government go if they have no majority," Chatterjee said.
In the House, he had reminded MPs that defiance of the chair does not help the smooth running of democracy.
"Instances of interruptions and forced adjournments and defying the authority of the chair do not help our common goal of public welfare and executive accountability," he told the House while adjourning it sine die, four days ahead of schedule.
