New Delhi, May 2: Somnath Chatterjee has referred a record 32 MPs to the House privileges committee, striking back after years of helplessly watching the Lok Sabha stalled by unruly members. But his move has prompted the Opposition to accuse him of bias.

The members — 31 from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and one from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — have not voiced their anger openly. But Opposition leaders have been citing how Left members had got away scot-free after holding up House proceedings on the subject of foodgrain allocation to Kerala.

Chatterjee sent the 32 MPs’ names on April 25 and 28, asking the privileges committee to “examine” their “disorderly conduct”, although the news broke only yesterday.

The Speaker’s “extreme step”, Opposition sources said, might bring to a head the longstanding differences between him and the NDA and spawn strong protests when the House meets on Monday.

The Opposition fears Chatterjee is preparing to send more Opposition names to the privileges committee.

Chatterjee has for months been trying to shame or frighten unruly MPs, sometimes saying their behaviour was worse than children’s, sometimes threatening drastic action. On April 25, he sent the name of BSP member Brajesh Pathak to the privileges committee for “examination, investigation and report”.

Pathak himself happens to be a member of the committee, which had earlier this week recommended framing a code of conduct for MPs.

On April 24, Pathak had angered the Speaker by refusing to allow steel and chemicals minister Ram Vilas Paswan to reply to a question by continually interrupting his speech.

The same day, 31 NDA members had trooped to the well shouting slogans and stalling proceedings. Their names were noted down and, on April 28, referred to the committee.

Committee chairman V. Kishore Chandra Deo said the panel would not go about the matter with any “pre-conceived” notions. The MPs will be asked to appear before the committee, which will hold its first meeting soon.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi stressed that the Speaker had not passed any comment on these MPs and only asked the panel to “examine” their conduct.

Among those on the list are Shahnawaz Hussein, Ashok Pradhan, Kharabela Swain, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Kiran Maheshwari and Karuna Shukla of the BJP, P.P. Koya of the Janata Dal (United), Chandrakant Khaire of the Shiv Sena, Tathagat Satpathy of the Biju Janata Dal and several Shiromani Akali Dal members.