Calcutta, June 4: Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee today told journalists they must stand up in their galleries when he enters the House like MLAs do, prompting loud protests from the Opposition and murmurs from the treasury that such a stricture was unheard of.

Entering the House at the start of the morning session, the Speaker addressed the journalists directly today, saying they ought to respect the Chair.

"I have been noticing that you do not stand up when I enter the House. I have even spotted some of you napping or chatting. For today, I ask you to please leave the House," Banerjee said, surprising the Opposition and the ruling Trinamul members.

He was referring to journalists with accreditation from the Assembly secretariat to cover the House session.

The journalists occupy seats in designated press galleries - A, B, C and D - in the last row of benches in the House.

The Speaker said: "You cannot be above the decorum and etiquette of the House and disrespect the Chair."

Left members immediately rose to their feet and started shouting. Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra requested the Speaker against setting a precedent by ordering journalists to leave the House.

"They are the fourth pillar of democracy. Please do not set this precedent," said Mishra, who has been a legislator for over two decades.

Although those in the treasury benches did not shout, some Trinamul MLAs were seen talking to the Speaker while the commotion was on.

About a minute later, the Speaker withdrew his order but cautioned journalists against any recurrence. "You may stay, but let this not happen again," he said.

Mishra lambasted the Speaker later, saying journalists, like visitors to the Assembly, are not a part of the House and they are under no obligation to stand up for anything but the national anthem and the obituary references.

"The members or the Speaker cannot officially address journalists or visitors in the House while proceedings are on. If any breach in House conduct is noticed, the Speaker can summon the person and take necessary action later," Mishra said.

Senior Congress MLA Manas Bhuniya, a legislator for over three decades, said what the Speaker did today was "unprecedented and unheard of". "I don't know how the Speaker said these things. I am shocked," the Congress leader said.

Parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee later said he would speak to the Speaker on the matter as the government does not believe in curbing the freedom of the press.

Later, while in his chamber, Banerjee said he was not passing a ruling and but expressing his unhappiness with the behaviour of "some" journalists.

When told that the press galleries were not part of the House and its occupants were not members under oath so they were not obliged to rise when he entered, Banerjee agreed.

"I am aware of those things, but there must be some decorum. I see them chatting among themselves, some of them are loud enough to disrupt House proceedings. Some use their cellphones visibly in the House, which is strictly disallowed. For the past few days, I have even seen a few of them napping," said the Speaker.

Former Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said there was "no occasion" for Banerjee to address journalists directly. "I have to say there was no such rule even in Parliament. Certainly not during my term (2004-2009). I don't know what prompted it," Chatterjee said.