New Delhi, February 15 – In a 1954 debate in Parliament on a resolution to remove then Speaker G.V. Mavalankar, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru urged the Congress MPs that they were not bound by any whip or direction, and that all legislators should consider the matter "regardless of party affiliations".
He urged the Lok Sabha members to consider the issue not through the lens of party affiliation, but as a matter concerning the dignity of the House.
The debate also focused on the Opposition's notice to move a resolution for the removal of then Speaker Om Birla, and on previous instances where such situations had arisen.
One such instance was in December 1954, when the Opposition moved a resolution for the removal of then Speaker Mavalankar. The resolution was admitted after over 50 members voiced their support, and a debate ensued.
Nehru also urged the Speaker to give more time for the Opposition to present their arguments.
The debate was heated, with the Opposition, despite being in the minority, strongly criticizing the Speaker and accusing him of being partisan.
Nehru intervened, saying, "I would like to address the House, if I may, in my capacity and with the privilege of being the Leader of this House, not as a leader of the majority party. As far as this majority party is concerned, I would like to tell them that none of them is bound by any whip or direction; they can vote according to their conscience. This is not a party matter; it is a matter for this House, for each individual, to consider, regardless of party affiliations."
"Therefore, let us try to consider this not as a party issue, but as members of this House, because this matter concerns the Speaker, of course, but it also concerns the dignity of this House as Parliament, and the honour of the Speaker," he said.
Nehru emphasized that the honour of Parliament was paramount.
He argued that any action against the Speaker would reflect on each member of the House.
"I wish that members would realize this, because I have been deeply saddened by this matter. We have known the Speaker for many years, and we have seen his conduct. It is possible that some of us may not have the same opinion about him as others do; that is possible," he said.
"It has happened that some of us have not liked a decision or ruling by him. It is one thing to disagree with a ruling or to feel slightly irritated. But it is completely different to challenge the integrity of the person who holds the honour of this House," he said.
"When we challenge his integrity, we betray our country and indeed the world, that we are weak and frivolous people who indulge in accusations without thinking of the consequences," he said.
Nehru also refuted the argument that it was impossible to move a motion against the Speaker, pointing out that the Constitution provided for it. He emphasized that the issue was not about legal rights, but about propriety and the desirability of doing so.
Responding to examples cited by the Opposition, Nehru said, "Mr. (S.S.) More, in his soft and gentle voice, often contains many bitter things, went on to tell us about a king in England in the 17th century. He also spoke about the practices of the British House of Commons 200 years ago. I listened with amazement. Here we are in the 20th century, in the Republic of India, and we are being told about what happened in the Middle Ages or some other time in England."
"It is true that we follow to a considerable extent the practices of the British Parliament, but it is also true that the practices of the British Parliament are not governed by what happened in the 17th century," he said.
"But apart from that, we are not concerned with what happened in the British Parliament. We are concerned with the honour of our Parliament, and the honour of the person who holds the dignity and prestige of this Parliament," he said.
Nehru defended the Speaker, criticizing the Opposition for questioning his integrity.
The Congress had a majority of over 360 members, and the resolution was defeated by a voice vote.
In 1966, a resolution against Speaker Sardar Hukam Singh failed to move forward as it could not secure the required 50 votes.
On April 15, 1987, the Opposition moved a resolution for the removal of then Speaker Balram Jakhar.
During the debate, Rajiv Gandhi quoted Nehru's remarks from the 1954 resolution debate and slammed the Opposition for questioning the Speaker's integrity. The resolution was defeated by a voice vote.
In December 2024, the Opposition submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar as Chairman of the upper house, alleging partisan conduct.
However, the notice was rejected at the preliminary stage due to procedural reasons.
A notice to move a resolution for the removal of Birla was submitted by Opposition members last Tuesday.
This notice will be listed after the start of the second phase of the Budget session on March 9. Sources have said that a speedy review will be conducted as per the rules.
