New Delhi, March 11 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah strongly defended Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday, criticizing the opposition for moving a no-confidence motion against him.
Responding to the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Speaker, Shah stated that the Speaker is impartial and above partisan politics. He emphasized that the Speaker serves the House and does not belong to any political party.
“Bringing a no-confidence motion against the Speaker is not an ordinary event. By doing so, the opposition has chosen to attack the very foundation of the Constitution and democratic principles,” he said.
He added that while 10 hours were allocated for the debate, more than 40 members participated, extending it to 13 hours.
“When the Speaker was elected, both the treasury and opposition benches pledged their support and trust in him. While the Speaker's decision is open to criticism, every member considers his decisions to be supreme. The motion against him attacks the very sanctity of the chair,” Amit Shah pointed out.
Drawing a contrast between the BJP and Congress’s track record in upholding democratic values, HM Shah said that no-confidence motions have been brought against the Speaker three times in the past seven decades.
“In none of these cases, the BJP was involved because we believe in upholding parliamentary principles and maintaining the sanctity of the chair. The Samajwadi Party and Communist Party were the ones who brought no-confidence motions against the Speaker during Congress-led governments. And, today, they are all sitting with the Congress,” he remarked.
He said that putting the Speaker on trial raises questions about India’s parliamentary system and sends a wrong message to global democracies.