New Delhi, Feb 10: Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a notice for moving a resolution to remove Om Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker, alleging that he had acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner in conducting the business of the House and “abused” the constitutional office he occupies.
The opposition also accused the speaker of making certain false allegations against the Congress members when he spoke of some “unexpected action” in the Lok Sabha and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to come to the House.
Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, chief whip K Suresh and whip Mohamed Jawed submitted the notice under Article 94 C of the Constitution to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh on behalf of several opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the DMK.
Sources said the notice was signed by around 120 MPs of the opposition, including those of the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Left parties and the RJD. Shiv Sena UBT and NCP-SP have also extended their support to the notice against the speaker but their MPs could not sign it.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) is not a signatory to the notice. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also not signed the notice, the sources said.
The notice was submitted soon after 1 pm, after the opposition members held a last meeting with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju but their issues remained unresolved.
Later in the day, the opposition withdrew the notice submitted in the afternoon and replaced it with another one correcting the date.
“We, the undersigned, hereby give notice of a resolution for the removal of Shri Om Birla from the office of Speaker Lok Sabha, in terms of the provisions of Article 94(c) of the Constitution of India, because of the blatantly partisan manner in which he has been conducting the business of the Lok Sabha,” the notice said, according to sources.
On several occasions, leaders of opposition parties have just not been allowed to speak, which is their basic democratic right in Parliament, the notice said.
The notice said on February 2, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to complete his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. This is not an isolated instance. The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha is almost invariably not allowed to speak, it claimed.
On February 3, eight opposition MPs were “arbitrarily suspended” for the entire Budget session and are being penalised merely for exercising their democratic rights, the notice said.
On February 4, a BJP MP was permitted to make “wholly objectionable and personalised attacks” on two former prime ministers without being reprimanded even once for disregarding established conventions and norms of propriety, it said, in an apparent reference to Nishikant Dubey’s remarks.
Speaker Birla not to preside over LS proceedings till matter settles
Speaker Om Birla will not preside over Lok Sabha proceedings till the issue pertaining to his removal from the office is settled citing moral grounds, sources said on Tuesday.
Separately, Article 96 of the Constitution bars a speaker or a deputy speaker to preside the House sitting while a resolution for his removal from office is under consideration.
Birla has a constitutional right to defend himself in the House if the resolution is discussed in the Lok Sabha.
He has, meanwhile, directed Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh to examine the notice served by the opposition for moving a resolution to remove him from office, the sources said.
About 120 opposition MPs submitted a notice for moving the resolution to remove Birla from office for not allowing Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to speak in the House on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, as well as for suspending eight MPs.
Birla has directed the secretary general to examine the notice and take appropriate action, the sources said, adding that it will be examined and processed according to rules.
Congress MP and chief whip K Suresh submitted the notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat on behalf of several opposition parties, including his party, Samajwadi Party and DMK.
TMC MPs, however, did not sign the notice. (PTI)
