Situation is intolerable: LS Speaker

"The situation is intolerable," an exasperated Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee lamented in the House on Thursday after repeated pleas to restrain slogan-shouting members proved futile.

"I earnestly appeal to you. Please don't bring down the name of Parliament and its dignity and honour," Chatterjee said while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led opposition members raised slogans demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh come to the House and clarify the reported spat between Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his ministerial colleague Ram Vilas Paswan.

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"It is very unfortunate," the Speaker said observing, "You have named a minister... you won't hear him. This is strange."

As the slogan shouting continued, he said, "There is no respect for the chair in this House."

Also Read Lalu, Paswan spat disrupts Lok Sabha session

Reminding the opposition of its assurance given to him for smooth running of the House, he said it was only 'lip service'.

When BJP deputy leader V K Malhotra insisted that the prime minister come to the House, Chatterjee shot back, "I can't dictate… it is for them (government) to decide. I can't compel the PM."