Friends or enemies

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and the CPI(M) have turned cautious while talking about each other. A few days ago, Chatterjee was reported to have slammed the party and called it a non-actor in national politics. When CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat was asked for his reaction, he didn’t hit back and refused to comment. Within a few hours, Chatterjee’s office issued a rejoinder which denied having made the comment and added, “The Speaker has great respect for the leaders of his erstwhile party and has never in any way criticised them earlier or now.”