No-confidence motion debate: Opposition accuses Om Birla of partisanship, NDA defends Lok Sabha speaker

New Delhi: Ruling confidentiality agreement Strong defense of Lok Sabha Speaker on Tuesday About Birla During the debate on the resolution seeking his removal, the opposition accused him of acting under government pressure and failing to conduct House proceedings fairly.The debate began after opposition members moved a resolution to oust Birla as speaker, claiming he was biased and had made “baseless” accusations against certain women MPs and not allowing opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to speak on key issues.

Although the constitution allows the speaker to attend and defend himself in such debates, Birla did not attend the proceedings. The discussion is expected to conclude on Wednesday, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to respond to the resolution.

Opposition accuses speaker of bias

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi initiated the debate and said the opposition moved the motion to protect parliamentary democracy.He said the resolution was necessary to “save the Constitution” and “the dignity of the House.”“People expected the chairman to remain neutral. But a study of the unamended version would show how many times the Leader of Opposition (LoP) was interrupted. When the LoP stood up, another member was asked (to speak),” Gogoi said.Quoting former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Gogoi said the Speaker symbolizes the freedom and dignity of the House.“Where is free speech now?” he asked.Gogoi added that opposition members had close personal ties to Bella but felt compelled to push for the resolution.“But it is our duty to protect the dignity of the House and save the Constitution. This is to protect the people’s faith in democracy,” he said.Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also questioned the Speaker’s behavior.“Please reflect on why we had to move the no-confidence motion. The House cannot function on the whim of anyone. We respect his authority. But he should not act under pressure and compromise independence,” Sawant said.Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra described supporting the motion to oust Speaker Birla as “God-given karma” and claimed that she was “wrongfully” expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2023.She said the speaker had set “less than elegant benchmarks” in presiding over the House.DMK leader TR Baalu ​​called Birla a “gentleman” but criticized what he called “harsh” action against opposition members and urged him to take corrective steps.

NDA says Speaker acted impartially

Finance MPs have denied the allegations and defended Birla’s actions, arguing that disciplinary action against opposition MPs was due to misconduct.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of targeting constitutional institutions since it lost power in 2014.He said the resolution was aimed at undermining the speaker’s authority.Rigiju said Birla had always remained impartial and provided ample opportunity to the opposition to speak in the House.He also quoted former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi as saying that the Speaker’s decision is final and must be respected by all members.The minister claimed that several opposition MPs were privately unhappy with the resolution.According to Rijiju, 50 opposition members told him privately that they were unhappy with the move but were succumbing to political pressure to support it.During his speech, Rijiju also criticized Rahul Gandhi’s behavior in Parliament, saying he often skipped meetings or left the House after delivering his speeches.Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could be a better Opposition leader, he added.Responding to Rijiju’s remarks, Priyanka Gandhi said she found it ironic for members of the ruling party to quote Nehru.“He mentioned that I was laughing. I want to clarify that I was laughing because the person they criticized day and night, Nehruji, they quoted Nehruji in their arguments.”“They suddenly started respecting Nehruji, respecting him for strengthening democracy and giving speeches like this,” she said.

NDA allies support Birla

NDA allies also supported the Speaker and criticized the opposition’s move.TDP MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu praised Birla’s handling of the Lok Sabha since 2019 and said parliamentary productivity has improved under his leadership.He said the resolution was introduced “not to succeed, but to generate headlines.”JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh termed the motion an attempt to put pressure on the Speaker.Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde attacked Rahul Gandhi and said he would face disruption if the Opposition leader pursues what he calls an “anti-India” agenda in Parliament.The debate on the resolution is expected to continue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.