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As the second phase of the budget session begins on March 9, three Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha are set to move a resolution demanding the removal of Speaker Om Birla for disallowing Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and other leaders from the opposition parties to speak.
Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed, Kodikunnil Suresh, and Mallu Ravi have accused Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of being partisan and of making "unwarranted allegations" against women MPs belonging to the opposition. The Congress leader pointed out that while opposition MPs have been suspended by Birla for the entire parliament session for raising issues concerning the public, the ruling party members have not been rebuked for making "derogatory" remarks against former Prime Ministers. "Having taken into consideration the conduct of the Speaker of the House as regards disallowing the Leader of the Opposition and other Opposition leaders to speak, making unwarranted allegations against women MPs belonging to the Opposition, suspending Opposition MPs for an entire session for raising issues of public concern and not rebuking ruling party members for making wholly objectionable and derogatory remarks against former PMs, feels he has ceased to maintain an impartial attitude necessary to command the confidence of all sections of the House," the list of business for Lok Sabha read. The Congress MPs accused Birla of being partisan for "openly espousing the version of the ruling party on all controversial matters", which they said constitutes a danger to the proper functioning of the Lok Sabha. "That in his partisan attitude he disregards the rights of Members of the House and makes pronouncements and gives rulings calculated to affect and undermine such rights; that he openly espouses the version of the ruling party on all controversial matters, that all these acts constitute a serious danger to the proper functioning of this House and ventilating effectively the felt concerns and grievances of the people, and therefore resolves that he be removed from his Office," the list of business said. During the first leg of the budget session, the Congress moved a no-confidence motion against Om Birla, after which the Lok Sabha Speaker announced that he would not preside over the chair on moral grounds until the motion was disposed of. This was followed by a massive uproar in the Parliament after Rahul Gandhi attempted to quote from an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. As a result, eight opposition MPs were suspended for the remaining session for violating the rules of the lower house. The first phase of the budget session witnessed constant adjournments due to massive uproars. Despite this, the Lok Sabha on February 5 passed the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address without the customary response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress issued a 'three-line whip' to their Lok Sabha MPs, expecting their presence in the House from March 9 to 11. The second phase of the budget session starts on March 9, and it is scheduled to go up to April 2, during which essential legislative and other business is expected to be addressed primarily. (ANI)
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