'Partisan' behaviour: Opposition moves unprecedented resolution seeking removal of LS Speaker Om Birla

New Delhi: Opposition on Tuesday moved an unprecedented resolution seeking removal of Om Birla as Lok Sabha, accusing him of "partisan" behaviour while insisting that they were forced to take such a recourse to "save the Constitution" and the "dignity of the House".

In what is only the fourth such instance in India's Parliamentary history, the debate saw Opposition MPs highlighting various instances they project as partisan, absence of appointing a Deputy Speaker for the past around seven years and how a panel of chairperson appointed by the Speaker facing action can chair the proceedings.

The debate for which ten hours has been allocated will conclude on Wednesday with Home Minister Amit Shah's speech and subsequent voting in which numbers are stacked against the Opposition though it believes that it could send a political message even while losing in a vote at the end.

Initiating the debate, Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi detailed how Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was allegedly not allowed to raise "critical issues", including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of China, Indo-US trade deal and Epstein Files in which the names of an Indian industrialist and a Union Minister have surfaced.

Claiming that the Opposition was forced to bring such a notice against Birla to "save the Constitution" and the "dignity of the House", he also alleged that the Speaker made "baseless" allegations against women Opposition MPs when he said he had asked Modi not to come to the House because the Opposition was planning an "unprecedented" protest against him during his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.

He said it was legally distinct because the Speaker preemptively advised the Prime Minister not to attend and that is a complete breach of neutrality. "There was an expectation that the chair would be neutral. But research of uncorrected versions would show the number of times the LoP was interrupted," he said.

When Gogoi claimed that records would show that Kiren Rijiju would be found to interrupt opposition members most often than any other Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the past, Home Minister Amit Shah shot back saying he would accept that but he would add that there has never been an "irresponsible" opposition like the current one.

Trinamool Congress' Mahua Moitra claimed that it was "divine karma" that she was opening the debate for her party on a resolution against Birla, who she claimed did not provide her an opportunity to present her views when she was "wrongly" expelled from the House in 2023. She also claimed that he has set "less than graceful benchmarks" while presiding over the House.

Claiming that close half of suspension of MPs between 2004 and 2026 showed that it came during the period Birla was the Speaker, she said, "it is all that democracy should not be. In December 2023, Birla-ji ordered the largest mass suspension in the history of Indian Parliament, suspending 100 opposition MPs. This one episode alone accounted for over 40% of all Lok Sabha suspensions since 2004."

DMK floor leader TR Baalu said they want Birla to conduct the House proceedings "fairly" and without succumbing to "pressure" even as he praised Birla as a "gentleman".

"He is such a gentleman, but I don't know what went wrong with him. He has suspended so many MPs in the last seven years. But why does he have to take such harsh steps? Our duty is to see that some corrective measures are taken. I want to impress upon the speaker to act fairly," he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) floor leader Arvind Sawant also said Birla is a "gentleman" but claimed that there is "pressure" on him to act against the Opposition.

"Please introspect why we had to bring the no-confidence motion. The House can't function on anyone's whims. We respect his authority. But he should not conduct himself under pressure and compromise independence," he added.