Opposition to Move No-Confidence Motion Against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Amid Escalating Parliamentary Standoff

Opposition to Move No-Confidence Motion Against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Amid Escalating Parliamentary Standoff

A no-confidence motion will be moved against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, sources told NDTV on Monday, underscoring the deepening mistrust between the ruling BJP and opposition parties that has marked every recent session of Parliament.

As per parliamentary rules, such a motion requires a 14-day notice period. This means it is likely to be taken up during the second half of the Budget Session, scheduled from March 9 to April 2. The first half of the session began on January 28 and will conclude on February 13.

The move follows a series of confrontations in the House, including repeated adjournments on Monday morning as opposition members insisted that Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak. The standoff reflects tensions that peaked last week in a dramatic showdown that eventually led to Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelling his scheduled speech in the Lok Sabha.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised what he described as the government’s apparent disinterest in parliamentary functioning. “I came to speak on the budget, but it looks like the government and the Speaker are not interested in running the House. The Finance Minister was not even present. I think she knew,” he remarked.

The latest flashpoint traces back to last week, when the Speaker denied Rahul Gandhi permission to read excerpts from an unpublished book by former Army chief General M.M. Naravane, which reportedly referred to the 2020 China border standoff in Ladakh. Gandhi was initially told that unauthenticated material could not be placed on the parliamentary record. Even after he submitted a note taking responsibility for the accuracy of the content, permission was refused.

The decision sparked angry protests from opposition benches. Senior BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, objected strongly to Gandhi’s demand and were backed by Speaker Birla. The impasse led to repeated adjournments and culminated in the suspension of eight Congress MPs last Tuesday, including Hibi Eden, Amarinder Raja Warring, and Manickam Tagor, for the remainder of the session.

Speaking to NDTV, Warring questioned the action. “Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak even after authenticating the document. We protested against this and tore up papers. Is demanding the right to speak a crime worthy of suspension?” he asked.

On Monday, the suspended MPs staged a protest outside the Parliament complex, holding placards reading, “You can suspend us but you cannot silence us.” BJP MP and junior Fisheries Minister S.P. Singh Baghel countered that the Speaker had acted responsibly and accused opposition MPs of becoming increasingly aggressive during protests in recent sessions.

Tensions further escalated last Thursday, the day Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to address the House. The Lok Sabha was adjourned early amid loud sloganeering. Speaker Birla said the decision was taken based on information suggesting that some opposition MPs might do “something unexpected” to target the Prime Minister.

This followed an incident in which a group of women MPs surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat—while it was unoccupied—holding placards to express dissent. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi dismissed suggestions of any threat as “absolute lies,” accusing the Prime Minister of “hiding behind the Speaker” and lacking the courage to face the opposition.

According to sources, the proposed no-confidence motion will focus on three key allegations against Speaker Birla. The first relates to his refusal to allow Rahul Gandhi to read from General Naravane’s book. The second concerns BJP MP Nishikant Dubey being permitted to read from books critical of the Congress and the Gandhi family, despite an earlier ruling by the Chair that such material should not be allowed. Opposition members have also questioned why no action was taken when Dubey ignored directions from TDP MP Krishna Tenneti, who was presiding at the time.

The third issue cited is the Speaker’s allegations against women opposition MPs during last week’s turmoil.

Responding to the developments, BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of having “insulted democracy,” signalling that the political battle over parliamentary conduct is set to intensify further in the weeks ahead.