Speaker ticks off an angry Sharad Yadav

A usually soft-spoken Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday pulled up Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav when he sought to challenge her authority and responded angrily to her remarks.

"It is not a my personal matter for you to be angry with me. It is a question of the Speaker, the right of the Speaker, the supremacy of the Speaker," Kumar told Yadav who was angry at her request to him to wind up his submission.

Yadav was speaking during a debate on the issue of violence in Assam and fleeing of people from the north-east from various parts of the country.

The NDA convenor shot back at the Speaker that he would sit down if she so wanted.

"It is the duty of the Chair to maintain discipline. One should not get upset with the Chair. You can speak now," Kumar said.

But Yadav said how can he remain tied down in rules when the country was being destroyed.

"See, if the nation is getting destroyed, then one can be angry with any one. What are you talking about? Shall we remain bound by rules?" he shot back.

At one point, Yadav even said he would walk out of the House if he was not allowed to speak.

"You can speak but you cannot challenge the direction of the Speaker. You cannot challenge the power of the Speaker," Kumar said.

The Speaker added she felt that no one should break the rules.

"Everybody must adhere to the rules at all times and if the Speaker says anything, you should not be angry at the Speaker," Kumar said.

The Speaker also corrected Leader of the House and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who said the Question Hour had been suspended.

"I have rejected the notices to suspend the Question Hour," Kumar said.