New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Tuesday came to the rescue of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday as he came under attack from Left MPs, particularly Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Mohammad Salim. “I condemn this. You can do whatever you like,” an angry Chatterjee told Salim as the Left MPs repeatedly disrupted Chidambaram’s speech defending the Manmohan Singh government in the debate on the trust vote sought by the prime minister.

“You (Salim) have spoken without much interruption yesterday. You should now listen to him (Chidambaram). I am requesting some decorum. Would you keep quiet? Your leader (Basudev Acharia, CPI-M leader in Lok Sabha) will be speaking. Let him take up these points,” the speaker told Salim.

Unfazed Left MPs continued to shout as Chatterjee said: “I will have to take some action. I will not tolerate indiscipline. We believe ourselves to be the largest democracy. How can we behave like this?”

The CPI-M leadership wanted Chatterjee to quit the speaker’s post before the debate on the trust vote began in parliament. Chaterjee refused.