Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who passed away on Monday after facing a prolonged illness in Kolkata was known for upholding the values of Parliament in his career spanning over four decades. He passed away due to multi-organ failure in the hospital in Kolkata.
who had been associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the most part of his life, leaves behind an imprint as one of the most illustrious speakers of the Lok Sabha. Chatterjee was the Speaker in the first five-year term (2004-2009) of the United Progressive Alliance government and was elected to Parliament’s Lower House for ten times since 1971.
A close associate of Marxist leader Jyoti Basu, Chatterjee was expelled by the CPI(M) in 2008 for “seriously compromising the position of the party” when he refused to step down as the Speaker, a position which he believed was independent and unbiased.