New Delhi: The Congress has officially submitted a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, citing allegations of biased conduct and unfair treatment of Opposition MPs. The motion, signed by 118 Congress MPs, is set to be discussed on March 9, the first day of the second part of the Budget Session, according to Lok Sabha Secretariat sources.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, “At 1:14 pm today, we submitted a motion for a no-confidence motion against the Speaker under rule 94C rules and procedures.”
The Opposition claims that Speaker Birla acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner, particularly by not allowing Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. During the debate, Gandhi cited excerpts from General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir, referring to the 2020 standoff with China. The Speaker had ruled that unpublished material could not be cited in Parliament.
Following the motion, Speaker Om Birla has decided to skip House proceedings on “moral grounds” until the no-confidence motion is resolved. He has instructed the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha to examine the notice and take the appropriate action.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly criticized the Congress move. Union Minister and LJP MP Chirag Paswan defended Birla, stating, “The Speaker has consistently given both sides the opportunity to speak. This no-confidence motion is unwarranted and politically motivated.”
The controversy intensified after Rahul Gandhi alleged that the publisher of General Naravane’s memoir was misrepresenting the book’s status. Penguin Random House later clarified that a book is considered published only when it is available for sale across retail channels.
