Congress submits no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
What's the story
The Indian National Congress has submitted the notice of no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh. "At 1.14 pm today, we submitted notice for no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker under Rule 94C of rules and procedures," Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said. The notice will be examined and processed as per the rules, Lok Sabha Secretariat sources told ANI.
Notice
What notice says
According to sources, the no-confidence motion states, "Notice of a resolution for the removal of Om Birla from the office of Speaker Lok Sabha, in terms of the provisions of Article 94(c) of the Constitution of India, has been given because of the blatantly partisan manner in which he has been conducting the business of the Lok Sabha. "On several occasions, Leaders of Opposition Parties have just not been allowed to speak, which is their basic democratic right in Parliament."
Motion backing
No-confidence motion backed by over 100 MPs
Earlier reports said the no-confidence motion had been backed by more than 100 Members of Parliament (MPs) from different opposition parties. However, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has refrained from signing the motion. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, is demanding the revocation of suspended MPs instead. "Give some time to Speaker, if there is no step, then a no-confidence can be considered says TMC leader," said a TMC leader. "If Congress wants to go ahead, let them do," they said.
Congress
Motion likely if Gandhi not allowed to speak
The opposition's discontent with Birla stems from his ruling against Gandhi. During a discussion on the motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Gandhi had cited General MM Naravane's unpublished memoir about the 2020 China standoff. The Speaker had asked him not to cite unpublished literature. Penguin, which holds the sole rights to the memoir, on Tuesday said "no copies of the book, in print or digital form, have been published, distributed, sold, or otherwise made available to the public."
LS
'You are going back on your word'
On Monday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned twice before being adjourned for the day amid chaos by opposition members who insisted that Gandhi be allowed to speak first. Gandhi told BJP MP, Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, that the Speaker "committed to us that I will be allowed to speak here and raise some points." "Now, you are going back on your word....So I'd like to know, am I allowed to speak those points or not?" he asked.
Chaos
LOP not allowed to speak: Priyanka
As Gandhi asked the question, the other side shouted "no no." The House was eventually adjourned. Speaking outside the Parliament, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said they were going to the House just to come out. "The Leader of the Opposition is not allowed to speak even for one minute. It is ridiculous. This is not democracy. What are we coming here for? They should allow him to speak."