New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi did not sign the notice of a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla, as it is not considered proper for the LoP to sign a petition seeking the removal of the Speaker in a parliamentary democracy, sources said on Tuesday.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday directed the House Secretary-General to examine the no-confidence motion notice against him and take appropriate action, according to sources. The Congress submitted a notice of a no-confidence motion against the Speaker earlier in the day.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the motion was submitted at 1:14 p.m. under Rule 94C of the Rules of Procedure. According to Congress sources, a total of 118 MPs have signed the notice of the no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he supports the party’s decision to move the no-confidence motion. “All I can say is I’m prepared for the budget speech. Whatever the party has said to do, the party has decided to do. Obviously, as a member of the party, I support the party,” Tharoor told reporters outside Parliament.
According to the notice shared by Congress MP Manickam Tagore on X, Opposition MPs alleged “blatantly partisan” conduct by the Speaker and claimed that leaders of Opposition parties were not allowed to speak. The notice cited four incidents, including the allegation that Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak in the House during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, when he sought to cite General M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir to discuss the 2020 standoff with China.
The Opposition also flagged the suspension of eight MPs, remarks described as objectionable and personalized attacks by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against former prime ministers, and a statement by Speaker Om Birla in which he said he had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House to prevent any unpleasant incident, after receiving information that some Congress MPs could approach the prime minister’s seat and “resort to an unprecedented incident.”
Manickam Tagore said on X that the Opposition had taken the step in “extraordinary circumstances.” He wrote that while the Opposition holds the Speaker in personal regard, it is anguished by what it described as the consistent denial of opportunities to Opposition MPs to raise issues of public importance, adding that a no-confidence notice against the Speaker was an extraordinary step taken after many years.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress asked the Congress to submit an appeal to Speaker Om Birla before moving a no-confidence motion against him, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said on Tuesday. The party said it would sign the no-confidence motion if the Speaker does not act on the Opposition’s appeal within two to three days.
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