The Lok Sabha is poised for a high-stakes confrontation on March 9, with sources in the Secretariat confirming that the discussion on the unprecedented motion to remove Speaker Om Birla is scheduled for the first day of the second leg of the Budget Session. The move plunges Parliament into a fresh crisis, highlighting the deepening rift between the Treasury and Opposition benches.
The trigger came on Tuesday when the Congress, spearheading a concerted Opposition effort, submitted a formal notice of no-confidence against Mr. Birla. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi stated the notice was submitted under Rule 94C, governing the conduct of business and procedure of the House. According to Congress sources, the motion carries the signatures of 118 MPs from various opposition parties.
The motion crystallizes weeks of escalating accusations from the Opposition, which has branded the Speaker's conduct as "blatantly partisan." At the heart of the grievance is the allegation that leaders of opposition parties, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, have been systematically denied the right to speak.
The notice specifically cites four incidents, with a key flashpoint being the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. During this debate, Mr. Gandhi referenced General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir, Four Stars of Destiny, while discussing the 2020 India-China standoff. Speaker Birla intervened, ruling that the LoP could not cite unpublished material, a decision that sparked immediate protests.
The controversy deepened on Tuesday when Mr. Gandhi accused the book's publisher, Penguin Random House, of not presenting the truth after it stated the book was unpublished. The publisher later clarified that "a book is considered published only when it is available for purchase across retail channels."
In a dramatic turn, Speaker Om Birla has chosen to voluntarily skip the Lok Sabha proceedings on what sources term "moral grounds," pending the disposal of the no-confidence notice. He has reportedly directed the Secretary General of the House to examine the notice and take appropriate procedural action, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a fierce counterattack. Union Ministers and allied MPs have lambasted the Opposition's move as "condemnable" and an act of "entitlement." Chirag Paswan, Union Minister and LJP MP, defended Mr. Birla, asserting that the Speaker has consistently tried to give both sides an opportunity to speak and that the motion itself undermines the dignity of the Chair.
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