07-28-2008, 03:26 AM
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Karat denies contradiction in party stand over Somnath</b>
Kolkata (PTI): The CPI(M) on Sunday dismissed suggestions that there was contradiction in its stand on Somnath Chatterjee, saying he was as much free to decide whether he would continue as the Lok Sabha Speaker as the party to decide if he would remain in it.
"I am not entering into a discussion. Whether he continues to be the Speaker, it is for him to decide. But whether he should be there in the party is for the party to decide", CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said.
He was replying to a question whether Chatterjee's expulsion was contradictory in nature since the CPI(M) had stated before the trust vote it was for Chatterjee to decide to continue as Speaker and then expelled him for 'seriously compromising the party position'.
Emerging from a two-day meeting of the West Bengal party state committee here, Karat was non-committal on the possibility of taking Chatterjee back to party fold when asked if there was any provision to take back a person expelled under Article 19 Clause 13 of party constitution.
"Our party constitution has various provisions for appeal. I do not want to say anything as far as this matter is concerned," Karat said.
Karat denies contradiction in party stand over Somnath</b>
Kolkata (PTI): The CPI(M) on Sunday dismissed suggestions that there was contradiction in its stand on Somnath Chatterjee, saying he was as much free to decide whether he would continue as the Lok Sabha Speaker as the party to decide if he would remain in it.
"I am not entering into a discussion. Whether he continues to be the Speaker, it is for him to decide. But whether he should be there in the party is for the party to decide", CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said.
He was replying to a question whether Chatterjee's expulsion was contradictory in nature since the CPI(M) had stated before the trust vote it was for Chatterjee to decide to continue as Speaker and then expelled him for 'seriously compromising the party position'.
Emerging from a two-day meeting of the West Bengal party state committee here, Karat was non-committal on the possibility of taking Chatterjee back to party fold when asked if there was any provision to take back a person expelled under Article 19 Clause 13 of party constitution.
"Our party constitution has various provisions for appeal. I do not want to say anything as far as this matter is concerned," Karat said.