Saurabh Mukherjee
Escalating its standoff with the Chair, the Opposition on Tuesday (February 10) moved a resolution seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, amid continuing disruptions and a prolonged deadlock in the Lower House. The move marks a sharp intensification of the confrontation between the Treasury benches and Opposition parties over the conduct of parliamentary proceedings.
A no-confidence motion bearing 118 signatures has been submitted to Lok Sabha secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh. The notice was moved by Congress leaders K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi and Md Javed. Sources said Speaker Om Birla has directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to examine the notice and expedite the process.
According to the text of the notice, reported by Hindustan Times, the resolution has been brought under Article 94(c) of the Constitution. It accuses the Speaker of conducting proceedings in a “blatantly partisan manner” and alleges that Leaders of Opposition parties have repeatedly been denied the opportunity to speak, which the notice describes as a denial of a basic democratic right.
The notice also cites recent developments in the House, including Rahul Gandhi not being allowed to complete his speech during the Motion of Thanks discussion and the suspension of eight Opposition MPs.
The resolution comes against the backdrop of a continuing logjam in the Lok Sabha. In an attempt to resolve the impasse earlier, Birla held meetings with senior leaders from both sides of the aisle, including Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and TR Baalu, following an adjournment of the House. Union home minister Amit Shah also met the Speaker later the same day.
Opposition leaders have maintained that their primary demands include allowing the Leader of the Opposition to speak in the House and reconsidering the suspension of eight MPs.
Congress leader KC Venugopal had earlier indicated that action against the Speaker was being considered, accusing the Chair of marginalising the Opposition and preventing its members from raising key issues.
Later in the day, Birla formally responded to the no-confidence motion, instructing the Lok Sabha Secretariat to “examine the notice and expedite the process”.
His response came within an hour of the notice being submitted, with the Speaker reiterating his direction to the Secretariat “to examine the no-confidence notice and to expedite the process”.
Also read: Lok Sabha Uproar: Eight Opposition MPs Suspended After Rahul Gandhi Stopped from Speaking
The Lok Sabha has seen repeated disruptions over the past several days, with Opposition members demanding a discussion on the India–US trade framework. The current impasse began last week after Rahul Gandhi referred to excerpts from a book by former army chief general (retired) MM Naravane on India-China relations.
The deadlock was so severe that, for the first time in 22 years, the prime minister could not reply in the Lok Sabha to the debate on the President’s address. The Motion of Thanks was eventually passed by a voice vote last Thursday without PM Narendra Modi’s reply.
On the same day, Birla claimed that he had credible information suggesting that several Congress MPs “might have reached the PM’s seat and caused some unexpected incidents” when Modi was originally scheduled to speak on Wednesday, a speech that ultimately did not take place. The Opposition has rejected these allegations.
However, a Lok Sabha functionary said that from the very beginning of the proceedings, the atmosphere in the House had deteriorated sharply, raising serious concerns about safety, decorum and the dignity of parliamentary functioning.
A no-confidence motion bearing 118 signatures has been submitted to Lok Sabha secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh. The notice was moved by Congress leaders K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi and Md Javed. Sources said Speaker Om Birla has directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to examine the notice and expedite the process.
According to the text of the notice, reported by Hindustan Times, the resolution has been brought under Article 94(c) of the Constitution. It accuses the Speaker of conducting proceedings in a “blatantly partisan manner” and alleges that Leaders of Opposition parties have repeatedly been denied the opportunity to speak, which the notice describes as a denial of a basic democratic right.
The notice also cites recent developments in the House, including Rahul Gandhi not being allowed to complete his speech during the Motion of Thanks discussion and the suspension of eight Opposition MPs.
The resolution comes against the backdrop of a continuing logjam in the Lok Sabha. In an attempt to resolve the impasse earlier, Birla held meetings with senior leaders from both sides of the aisle, including Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and TR Baalu, following an adjournment of the House. Union home minister Amit Shah also met the Speaker later the same day.
Opposition leaders have maintained that their primary demands include allowing the Leader of the Opposition to speak in the House and reconsidering the suspension of eight MPs.
Congress leader KC Venugopal had earlier indicated that action against the Speaker was being considered, accusing the Chair of marginalising the Opposition and preventing its members from raising key issues.
Later in the day, Birla formally responded to the no-confidence motion, instructing the Lok Sabha Secretariat to “examine the notice and expedite the process”.
His response came within an hour of the notice being submitted, with the Speaker reiterating his direction to the Secretariat “to examine the no-confidence notice and to expedite the process”.
Also read: Lok Sabha Uproar: Eight Opposition MPs Suspended After Rahul Gandhi Stopped from Speaking
The Lok Sabha has seen repeated disruptions over the past several days, with Opposition members demanding a discussion on the India–US trade framework. The current impasse began last week after Rahul Gandhi referred to excerpts from a book by former army chief general (retired) MM Naravane on India-China relations.
The deadlock was so severe that, for the first time in 22 years, the prime minister could not reply in the Lok Sabha to the debate on the President’s address. The Motion of Thanks was eventually passed by a voice vote last Thursday without PM Narendra Modi’s reply.
On the same day, Birla claimed that he had credible information suggesting that several Congress MPs “might have reached the PM’s seat and caused some unexpected incidents” when Modi was originally scheduled to speak on Wednesday, a speech that ultimately did not take place. The Opposition has rejected these allegations.
However, a Lok Sabha functionary said that from the very beginning of the proceedings, the atmosphere in the House had deteriorated sharply, raising serious concerns about safety, decorum and the dignity of parliamentary functioning.
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