Om Birla Calls for Prompt Review of No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha
On Tuesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the no-confidence motion filed against him by the Opposition, instructing the Lower House secretariat to 'review the notice and hasten the procedure'.
The proposal, endorsed by 118 signatories, was presented to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh by Congress leaders K Suresh, Gaurav Gogoi, and Md Javed.
Birla reacted to the no-confidence motion within an hour of its filing. He instructed the Lok Sabha secretariat to review the no-confidence notice and hasten the procedure.
According to the notice obtained exclusively by Hindustan Times, the resolution has been introduced under Article 94(c) of the Constitution, accusing the Lok Sabha proceedings of being conducted in a 'blatantly partisan manner.'
The notice also mentions that Opposition party leaders have frequently been refused the opportunity to speak in the House, which they claim is a violation of their fundamental democratic rights.
The Lok Sabha has been stuck in a lengthy deadlock during the current Budget session.
In previous attempts to resolve the impasse, Birla held discussions with senior officials from the central government and leaders of the Opposition, such as LoP Rahul Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
Opposition leaders put forward several requests, such as permitting the Leader of the Opposition to address the assembly and reviewing the suspension of eight MPs. Previously, Congress leader KC Venugopal suggested potential measures against the Speaker, alleging that the Chair was marginalizing the Opposition and preventing its members from discussing important matters.
Disorder, uproar, and suspensions: Turmoil in Parliament
The Lok Sabha has experienced ongoing disruptions, including adjournments and slogans, since last week when Rahul Gandhi attempted to cite passages from an unpublished book by former army chief General (retired) MM Naravane regarding India-China relations.
In the midst of ongoing interruptions, the Lok Sabha experienced a landmark occurrence. For the first time in 22 years, the President's address was approved in the Lok Sabha without the prime minister responding to the discussion.
Om Birla claimed to have received reliable information suggesting that several Congress MPs "could have approached the Prime Minister's seat and triggered some unforeseen events" when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was initially set to speak in the Lower House on Wednesday. In the end, the PM did not give his speech, and on Thursday, the President's address was approved via a voice vote.
Nevertheless, the Opposition has dismissed these claims.
