Budget Session: The debate on the no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha speaker Om Birka began in the lower house on Tuesday, 10 March.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Jagdambika Pal, who is in the Chair, said 10 hours have been allotted for debate, and asked MPs to stick to the resolution. Pal said the Speaker was generous with the permissions and procedure for the Opposition’s resolution.
“This motion is not to target Om Birla, but we want to preserve Lok Sabha’s dignity,” Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said before beginning the debate on the motion.
The no-confidence resolution against Birla was given by several opposition leaders who alleged that he had acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner in the House.
“There was an expectation that the chair would be neutral. But research of uncorrected versions would show the number of times the LoP was interrupted. While the LoP was on his feet, another member was called upon (to speak),” Gogoi said. “Is this Parliamentary tradition we want to show? Microphones are being used to silence MPs. It stands in direct contradiction with the rituals of this House,” Gogoi said.
This motion is not to target Om Birla, but we want to preserve Lok Sabha’s dignity.
They had also accused the speaker of making certain false claims against Congress members when he spoke of some “unexpected action” in the Lok Sabha and had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House to reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.
As many as 118 Opposition MPs have signed the motion, alleging “partisan” behaviour by the Speaker after the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was allegedly not allowed to speak in the House.
Amit Shah slams Oppn
During the debate, BJP leaders, including Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, objected to Gogoi’s slams against the government.
In response, Gogoi said, ” In future, when there will be research on parliamentary records, statistics will tell that Kiren Rijiju was the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who interrupted the Opposition the most.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stood up and responded,” I agree, Kiren Rijiju ji, as Parliamentary Affairs Minister, has interrupted the most. But we have also never seen such an irresponsible Opposition.”
Birla recuses himself
Speaker Om Birla had recused himself from the proceedings of the House from the date of submission of the notice, with the Lok Sabha Secretariat saying he would return only after the disposal of the agenda.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi backed Birla, saying he had taken all parliamentarians along and was committed to the principles of the Constitution and parliamentary democracy.
