New Delhi, March 11 – The no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was defeated by a voice vote on Wednesday. The voting took place after more than 13 hours of intense debate on the motion, in which the opposition accused the Speaker of being "biased and partisan" against them.
The voice vote by officiating Speaker Jagdambika Pal was conducted amidst intense chaos and commotion in the House, as the opposition members created a ruckus over Home Minister Amit Shah's response to the no-confidence motion. The opposition benches stood up in unison and engaged in intense slogans against the Home Minister, apparently upset by his sharp retorts against the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi.
The move, though expected, is embarrassing for the opposition, as they were seen being targeted for their own shortcomings rather than exposing the Speaker and, in turn, the government's "high-handedness" in the functioning of the House.
Besides asserting the sanctity of the Speaker's position, the Home Minister cited instances from past Congress governments and drew contrasting differences with the current dispensation.
He stated that the Speaker's position remains sacrosanct and his rulings remain immune even to the Supreme Court, and what exposes the opposition's double standards is the fact that it was none other than the Samajwadi Party, the Communist Party (who are allies of the Congress today), who brought the no-confidence motion against the Speaker during the Congress-led governments.
During previous motions against the Speaker, they remained seated in the Chair, but this time Om Birla has set a new parliamentary precedent by relinquishing the Chair until the fate of the motion was decided, he highlighted.
Shah also pointed to Rahul Gandhi's repeated foreign visits during parliamentary sessions and questioned his "resistance" to participating in important debates ranging from the Union Budget to the Women's Reservation Bill and more.
"When sessions come, he plans foreign trips. So, will he speak here from abroad?" asked Shah.
Notably, the motion against Speaker Om Birla was introduced by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed.
The resolution found significant support from the opposition, with 118 MPs signing the motion, alleging that Om Birla displayed "partisan behavior" and failed to maintain the impartiality expected from the high office.
The debate was allowed by Jagdambika Pal on Tuesday, who presided over the Chair and allotted 10 hours for debate. Today, the voice vote was also passed under his chairmanship.
The debate began yesterday, with sharp exchanges between the opposition and the ruling BJP. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi initiated the debate, claiming that it was meant to protect the dignity of Parliament rather than target Birla personally, followed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's counter, who strongly defended Birla's balanced and neutral approach.