New Delhi, March 11 The resolution seeking the removal of Om Birla as Speaker was defeated in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote on Wednesday.
Amid protests and slogans from the opposition demanding an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair, announced that the no-confidence motion was defeated.
Pal urged the opposition to take their seats so that he could put the motion to a vote. However, as the protests continued, he sought the vote of the House, and the resolution was rejected by a voice vote, after which he adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier, the home minister had criticized the opposition for bringing the motion to remove Birla as Speaker.
The opposition objected to certain remarks made by Shah and started shouting slogans, disrupting the proceedings and demanding an apology from him.
Responding to the two-day-long debate, Shah asserted that the House would be run according to its own rules, not the rules of a party.
"This is not an ordinary occurrence, as such a motion has been brought against the speaker after nearly four decades," he said.
The home minister said it was unfortunate for parliamentary politics that some opposition parties were questioning the integrity of the speaker.
Shah said that the BJP had been in the opposition for the longest period of time, but the party had never brought a no-confidence motion against any speaker.
"According to the established history of this House, its proceedings are conducted on the basis of mutual trust. The speaker serves as a neutral custodian, representing both the ruling party and the opposition. It is unfortunate for parliamentary politics that a resolution for the removal of the speaker has come," he said.
Shah said that the opposition raised questions on Birla's integrity and contended that it was akin to questioning the country's democratic processes.
Birla was not present in the House during the entire period of the debate.