From correspondents in West Bengal, India, 10:00 PM IST
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Saturday seemed to be feeling alienated from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) cadres who did not meet him during his visit to Santiniketan to oversee the construction of his new house.
Chatterjee was expelled from the primary membership of the party last month for defying the party's instruction to step down as speaker during the trust vote in parliament.
'I am feeling really very bad to see the treatment. Have I suddenly become an outsider? Why there's a different treatment for me now? It really surprised me,' Chatterjee told mediapersons in Birbhum district's Bolpur, about 165 km from here.
He arrived at Shyambati area of Santiniketan to oversee the ongoing construction work of his new house. This was his first visit to Santiniketan after being expelled from his party.
Sources said, unlike earlier times, no CPI-M party cadres or district leaders were seen meeting him on his visit to Santiniketan.
'I had taken the decision to settle down in Santiniketan long ago and my resolve to stay here has not been influenced by any other development,' he said.
Chatterjee said he intended to settle down at Santiniketan after his term as speaker ends.
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The party to which Hon'ble Somnathji claims allegiance is itself in an extremely sombre mood, as he must be aware. Hence he need not be more so than that as a party member when his comrades did not honour him with a site visit.
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