New Delhi: Decision NDA Strongly defended the Lok Sabha Speaker on Tuesday Om Birla During the debate on a motion seeking his removal, opposition parties accused him of acting under government pressure and failing to conduct the House proceedings impartially.The debate began when opposition members moved a motion to remove Birla from the post of Speaker, accusing him of bias and claiming that he made “baseless” allegations about some women MPs and did not allow opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to speak on important issues.

Birla did not attend the proceedings, although the Constitution allows the Speaker to be present and defend himself during such debates. The discussion is expected to end on Wednesday, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah will respond to the proposal.

Opposition accused the speaker of bias

Initiating the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that the opposition has brought the resolution to protect parliamentary democracy.He said the motion was necessary to “save the Constitution” and “the dignity of the House”.“The expectation was that the Asana would be neutral. But research into the uncorrected versions will reveal how many times the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) was interrupted. When the LoP was on his feet, another member was called (to speak),” Gogoi said.Quoting former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s comments, Gogoi said the Speaker is a symbol of the independence and dignity of the House.“Where is the freedom of speech now?” he asked.Gogoi said the opposition members personally have cordial relations with Birla, but he felt compelled to bring the motion.“But it is our responsibility to protect the dignity of the House and save the Constitution. This is to protect people’s faith in democracy,” he said.Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also questioned the conduct of the speaker.Sawant said, “Please introspect why we had to bring the no-confidence motion. The House cannot function on anyone’s wish. We respect their right. But they should not behave under pressure and compromise on independence.”Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra described it as “divine deed” that she was supporting the motion to remove Birla from the post of Speaker, alleging that he was “wrongfully” expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2023.He said the Speaker has set “less than graceful standards” while presiding over the House.DMK leader TR Baalu ​​called Birla a “gentleman” but criticized what he described as “harsh” action against opposition members and urged him to take corrective steps.

NDA says the speaker acted impartially

Members of the ruling party rejected the allegations and defended Birla’s conduct, arguing that inappropriate behavior led to disciplinary action against opposition MPs.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of targeting constitutional institutions since it lost power in 2014.He said that this proposal is an attempt to weaken the authority of the Speaker.Rijiju said Birla remained impartial and gave ample opportunity to the opposition to speak in the House.Quoting former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi, he stressed that the decisions of the Speaker are final and must be respected by all members.The minister claimed that several opposition MPs had privately expressed discomfort over the proposal.According to Rijiju, 50 opposition members told him personally that they were unhappy with the move but were supporting it due to political pressure.During his intervention, Rijiju also criticized Rahul Gandhi’s conduct in Parliament and said that he often does not participate in the proceedings or leaves the House after giving his speech.He said that Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could be a better leader of the opposition.Responding to Rijiju’s remarks, Priyanka Gandhi said she found it ironic that ruling party members were quoting Nehru.“He said that I was laughing. I wanted to clarify that I was laughing because the person whom he keeps criticizing day and night, Nehru ji, he used a quote from Nehru ji for his argument.”“They have suddenly started respecting Nehruji and he strengthened democracy and gave such a speech,” he said.

NDA allies supported Birla

NDA allies also supported the Speaker and criticized the opposition’s move.TDP MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu praised Birla’s way of running the Lok Sabha since 2019 and said parliamentary productivity has increased under his leadership.He said the proposal was brought “not to be successful but to make great headlines”.JDU leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh called this proposal an attempt to put pressure on the Speaker.Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde attacked Rahul Gandhi and said the opposition leader would face obstacles if he promoted an “anti-India” agenda in Parliament.The debate on this proposal is expected to continue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday also.