Three Congress Members of Parliament have initiated a move in the Lok Sabha seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of failing to conduct House proceedings in a neutral manner.
The resolution has been submitted by Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed, Kodikunnil Suresh, and Mallu Ravi ahead of the second phase of Parliament’s Budget Session, which is scheduled to begin on March 9.
According to the notice placed in the Lok Sabha’s business agenda, the MPs have alleged that the Speaker has not maintained the level of impartiality expected from the constitutional position.
Allegations Over Blocking Opposition Voices
The Congress leaders claim that the Speaker repeatedly prevented Rahul Gandhi and several other opposition members from speaking in the House during important debates.
They also accused Birla of making “unwarranted allegations” against women MPs from opposition parties. The resolution further states that multiple opposition members were suspended for the remainder of the parliamentary session after raising issues of public interest.
According to the MPs, such actions demonstrate a pattern of behaviour that favours the ruling party and restricts the rights of opposition lawmakers.
Suspension of Opposition MPs Raises Tensions
Tensions escalated during the first phase of the Budget Session when eight opposition MPs were suspended from the House for allegedly violating parliamentary rules.
The suspensions followed repeated protests and disruptions by opposition members who were demanding discussions on various national issues.
The resolution claims that while opposition members faced disciplinary action, ruling party MPs were not criticised despite making remarks considered derogatory towards former Prime Ministers.
Previous No-Confidence Motion Against Speaker
This is not the first time the Congress has challenged the Speaker’s role. During the earlier phase of the Budget Session, the party had moved a no-confidence motion against Om Birla.
Following that development, the Speaker reportedly stated that he would refrain from presiding over the House proceedings until the motion was decided, citing moral reasons.
Parliament Disruptions During Budget Session
The first phase of the Budget Session saw repeated disruptions and adjournments amid heated exchanges between the ruling alliance and the opposition.
One major controversy occurred when Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from an unpublished memoir written by former Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane regarding the 2020 India-China border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The issue triggered strong protests in Parliament and contributed to further disorder in the House.
BJP and Congress Issue Whips
With the second phase of the Budget Session approaching, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress have issued a three-line whip directing their Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in Parliament from March 9 to March 11.
The second phase of the session will continue until April 2, during which several key legislative matters are expected to be discussed and debated in the House.
