23 July, 2008, has been one of the saddest days of my life, when I was informed through the media of the summary expulsion from my membership of the CPI(M) for ‘seriously compromising the position of the party’.
I gratefully acknowledge the role of the party for giving me so many opportunities and onerous responsibilities to discharge.
In the present circumstances, I feel that I owe a duty to the members, CPI(M) supporters and to the citizens of the country to inform them as to how the present situation has come about.
After the general election in May 2004, something extraordinary happened, which is now a record in the annals of the Lok Sabha. There were 18 nomination papers proposing my name for election as Speaker, filed by the UPA parties and their allies as also by the main opposition party and the NDA constituents, who filed separate nomination papers in favour of my candidature.
Thus, my election to the high office of the Speaker was not only uncontested but was unanimous as all political parties proposed my name.
The Speaker of Lok Sabha, like the Speakers of other elected assemblies, while acting as such does not and cannot represent any political party and in the discharge of his or her duties and functions, the Speaker does not owe allegiance to any political party and does not support any party.
On 6 July 2008, when the general secretary of the party met me to explain generally the party’s stand on the issue of the nuclear deal, I was informed that the party had not even discussed any matter concerning me. On the morning of July 9, 2008, he telephonically conveyed that a section of the party felt that my continuance as Speaker may be untenable. However, it was stated that the final decision would be taken by me.
On July 9, 2008, I was surprised to learn from the media that my name was mentioned in the communication to the Hon’ble Rashtrapatiji, without any intimation to or discussion with me.
In the computation of the strength of either the ruling party or its allies or of the opposition, no responsible person or authority can treat the Speaker as belonging to or extending support either to the government or its allies or to the opposition. Thus the question of the Speaker withdrawing support to the government can never arise. It is only the House as a whole which can decide whether the Speaker should continue to remain as such or not, apart from his/her own decision to relinquish, if there is any such occasion. In the afternoon of July 20, 2008, for the first time I was verbally told by a member of the Politburo that it was the decision of the party that I should resign and vote against the motion and when I refused, subsequently it was suggested that I should resign as Speaker and may not attend the House to cast my vote. I informed him of my inability to accept such a decision or to act upon the same as it will seriously compromise the constitutional position of the Speaker. The party should have appreciated that as Speaker I did not represent it nor could it give any direction to me with regard to the discharge of my functions as Speaker. I reiterate this with all the emphasis at my command.
I could not and cannot in my conscience accept a position which would totally compromise the sanctity of the most important legislative office in the country. After weighing the pros and cons, I have consciously taken the principled decision to uphold the Constitution of India at the risk of being unjustifiably dubbed as anti-party. It is a canard to allege that I have done so to help any party or parties or on some other personal considerations. I strongly and categorically deny these wholly baseless allegations.
In view of the controversies that are now being raised based on a party’s contention that while as Speaker, a Member of Parliament should continue to be under the direction and control of the party, a convention should start now that during his/her tenure as Speaker, a member should temporarily resign from the membership of the party and not face a situation which compromises the position of the Speaker vis-a-vis his or her party.
Excerpts from Somnath Chatterjee’s first open letter after being expelled from the CPI(M), August 1, 2008.
