Contrary to the “expectations” of the Left to see Somnath Chaterjee relinquish the office of Speaker, there is undivided unanimity among top jurists, including Fali Nariman, Soli Sorabjee, P P Rao and Rajeev Dhavan, who have advised Chaterjee “not to succumb to the pressure” of the Left and uphold the dignity of the office. Echoing the views of Rajya Sabha MP and former law minister Ram Jethmalani, who on Monday wrote a letter to the Speaker advising him not to step down, these experts deplored the Left’s attempts “to coerce” him to resign.

“It’s almost like coercion asking the Speaker to quit,” said Fali S Nariman, noted jurist and Constitutional expert. “This sort of procedure adopted by Left parties completely destroys the dignity of the Speaker’s office. It’s extraordinarily unfair on the part of the CPM to expect Somanth to resign,” Nariman said, as he was seconded by similar views from Soli J Sorabjee.

“Why ask or force Speaker to resign when he’s not a nominee of any party?” Sorabjee pointed out. “We all know the office of Speaker is a constitutional post and as Nariman explained that unlike UK, in India whenever a person occupies the august office of Speaker, he does not have to resign from the party. He can remain a member but treating him like another ordinarily party member, is what he called completely wrong. Except for practical, like in this case, political requirements, a Speaker cannot be asked to resign. He’s elected by the majority vote of the house, which only can ask him to quit.”

... contd.