New Delhi, Feb 10 (UNI) Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha, led by the Indian National Congress, have formally submitted a notice to move a resolution to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from office.
The notice was submitted on Tuesday to the Lok Sabha secretariat by Congress MP and chief whip K Suresh on behalf of a bloc of opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK, a Congress leader said.
The move comes amid sharp parliamentary tensions after the Speaker’s decision not to allow Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to speak during the important Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
The opposition’s action is being framed as a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, a rare and serious parliamentary step.
The resolution signals a major escalation in the ongoing standoff between the ruling side and opposition over parliamentary conduct and procedural fairness.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition floor leaders are reported to be coordinating signatures and support for the notice, though UNITY within the bloc is not wholly settled, some parties like the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been weighing whether to sign.
Despite the announcement of the resolution, the INDIA alliance has also made efforts to negotiate a truce with Speaker Birla and the government to break the impasse in Parliament. However, reports suggest that the offer may be difficult for the Speaker or the ruling side to accept.
Parliamentary proceedings have been disrupted for several days, with the Lok Sabha repeatedly adjourned amid protests and procedural logjams. Parties are accusing each other of undermining debate and democratic norms in the House.
The latest confrontation comes amid escalating tensions between the Treasury benches and the Opposition following claims by Congress that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak during the debate on the President’s Address. Gandhi had sought to refer to excerpts from unpublished memoirs of former Army Chief General MM Naravane concerning the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. The Speaker, however, disallowed the reference, citing parliamentary rules that bar the use of unpublished material.
The ruling triggered fresh protests from Congress MPs, who termed the decision unfair and politically motivated, further deepening the deadlock in the House.
Under the Indian Constitution’s rules, 14 days’ notice is required before a resolution to remove the Speaker can be tabled for debate and voting in the Lok Sabha — meaning the motion could become formally active after that period if procedural requirements are met by the MPs proposing it.
