NEW DELHI : Condemning the near scuffle between two members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Friday said the incident affected the image of Parliament and asked the leaders to introspect.

When the House met for the day, Mr. Chatterjee referred to the incident and said people resented it and the media had written strongly against it, using the harshest language. There was a flood of telephone calls and messages regarding it.

Efforts had to be made to salvage the image. The Speakertold members that the entire country was watching them and they had to respond to people's expectations and discharge duties in a manner expected of them.

Mr. Chatterjee appreciated leaders of various parties for controlling the situation from getting out of hand.

He also announced that he had rejected the resignation of the Janata Dal (United) leader Prabhunath Singh and asked him to attend the House. Mr. Singh came in soon after.

Mr. Singh submitted his resignation after he had a near altercation with Rashtriya Janata Dal member Sadhu Yadav over a remark by him against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.

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