नवीनतम
Discussion on motion to remove Speaker likely on March 9
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Lok Sabha is likely to take up a discussion on the opposition’s motion seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla on March 9, the first day of the second part of the Budget Session, according to sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
The indication comes later in the day after opposition parties formally submitted a notice to move a resolution against the Speaker, marking a rare and serious escalation of parliamentary confrontation. The notice was submitted on Tuesday by Congress MP and chief whip K. Suresh on behalf of several opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the DMK.
“This is one of the most serious procedural steps available to members, and it follows due process,” a source in the Lok Sabha Secretariat said, adding that the timeline points to March 9 as the earliest possible date for discussion, subject to procedural compliance.
The opposition’s move follows mounting tensions in the House over the Speaker’s decision not to allow Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to speak during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address. Opposition parties have accused the Chair of undermining parliamentary conventions and curtailing debate, charges that the Speaker’s office and the ruling side have rejected.
Opposition leaders are framing the resolution as a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, an extraordinary step that has been used only sparingly in India’s parliamentary history. “This is about protecting the rights of the opposition and the dignity of Parliament,” a senior Congress leader said, arguing that repeated disruptions stemmed from the denial of speaking opportunities rather than deliberate obstruction.
While the Congress, SP and DMK have backed the move, other INDIA alliance partners, including the Trinamool Congress, are still weighing whether to formally associate themselves with the notice.
Parliamentary proceedings have been repeatedly disrupted since last week, with the Lok Sabha seeing multiple adjournments amid protests and counter-allegations from both sides. The ruling coalition has accused the opposition of stalling legislative business, while opposition parties insist they are being denied a fair chance to raise issues.
Under constitutional provisions and parliamentary rules, a minimum notice period of 14 days is required before a resolution to remove the Speaker can be admitted for discussion and voting. If the procedural requirements are met, the motion would become formally active after the notice period, paving the way for a debate that could test both parliamentary norms and political equations when the House reconvenes in March.
