Reacting to the Opposition’s notice of no-confidence motion against him, Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, Om Birla, Tuesday directed House Secretary-General Utpal Kumar Singh to take appropriate action.
According to news agency ANI, the House Secretary-General has been asked to thoroughly examine the motion and expedite the process.
Speaker Birla has also reportedly decided on moral grounds that he will not attend the proceedings of House till the disposal of the notice.
Earlier today, Opposition leaders led by Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, submitted the no-confidence motion notice bearing the signature of 118.
“At 1:14 pm today, we submitted a motion for a no-confidence motion against the Speaker under Rule 94C rules and procedures,” Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said.
The Opposition Congress has accused Birla of “blatantly partisan” conduct, claiming that leaders of Opposition parties were not allowed to speak.
According to ANI, the notice of motion of no-confidence cited four incidents against the Speaker, including the Opposition’s allegation that Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak in the House during the discussion on the motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
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Gandhi tried to cite former Army Chief General MM Naravane’s unpublished memoir to discuss the 2020 standoff against China.
The notice also flagged that the suspension of eight MPs, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s “objectionable and personalised attacks” against former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
Speaker Om Birla’s allegations that some Congress MPs wanted the PM’s seat and “resort to an unprecedented incident” thus he advised the PM not to come to the House.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore, who was among the 118 signatories, said that the “extraordinary step” was taken under “unprecedented circumstances”.
“The Opposition has placed its faith in constitutional propriety. While holding the Hon’ble Speaker in personal regard, we are pained and anguished by the consistent denial of opportunities to Opposition MPs to raise issues of public importance. After many years, a no-confidence notice against the Speaker has been moved–an extraordinary step born out of extraordinary circumstances,” Tagore added.