NEW DELHI, FEB 9: A coalition of opposition parties has resolved to submit a no-confidence notice against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, characterizing the current management of the House as partisan. The resolution was reached during a high-level gathering hosted by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday, where leaders expressed collective dissatisfaction with recent parliamentary proceedings.
The decision to challenge the Speaker’s authority stems from the suspension of eight opposition members and allegations of biased conduct. MP NK Premchandran stated that the move was a direct response to the Speaker’s refusal to let Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi speak.
“The Speaker also made derogatory comments about women members of the opposition and suspended their eight members,” Premchandran said. “This is high-handedness and we are united against this. We will move a motion of no confidence.”
Disagreements over parliamentary rules have stalled the Lok Sabha for several days, particularly after a ruling barred Rahul Gandhi from citing an unpublished manuscript about the Galwan valley standoff. Congress leadership has voiced concerns that the legislative environment has become increasingly tilted toward the executive branch.
“The House is being run like a preserve of the government and this was not acceptable,” noted Congress MP KC Venugopal.
The move serves as a significant expression of dissent, even though the opposition acknowledges they do not hold the majority required to win the motion. It marks a period of heightened friction following a Friday statement from the Speaker, who said he had cautioned the Prime Minister against attending a session on January 28 due to the presence of protesting members near the Prime Minister’s seat.
This development follows a previous attempt to bring a motion against the Rajya Sabha leadership late last year, which failed due to procedural errors. Opposition leaders said this latest action is intended to reflect their firm stance against the manner in which the House is currently being governed.
