Opposition stalls its motion against Birla in Lok Sabha
In a bid to keep alive the move to remove Om Birla and prevent him from presiding over the House, Opposition parties on Monday disrupted proceedings in the Lok Sabha, demanding a debate on the West Asia crisis even as External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar addressed the issue.
The House, which resumed after a break, had only the no-confidence motion against the Speaker on its agenda. Opposition MPs shouted slogans and held placards reading: “Middle East is burning, Indians are stranded, there is no oil. Modiji, stop bowing to (Donald) Trump.”
A senior Opposition MP confirmed to The Pioneer that the disruption was planned. “It was done tactically to keep the issue alive. If a decision were taken on Birla, the matter would have ended. In the strategy meeting we decided to stall the motion and force the Government to discuss the West Asia situation,” the MP said.
Presiding officer Jagdambika Pal reminded members that the no-confidence motion against the Speaker was already on the agenda and that their adjournment notice seeking a debate on West Asia could not be taken up.
He accused the Opposition of holding the House “hostage” and wasting nearly `9 crore a day of taxpayers’ money, describing its conduct as “immature and irresponsible”. Pal said both the Government and the Chair were ready to take up the resolution, but the Opposition was creating obstacles even as Birla stayed away from presiding over proceedings until the motion against him is settled.
The Government is unlikely to allow a separate discussion on the West Asia crisis, maintaining that Jaishankar has already briefed both Houses.With the Speaker’s no-confidence motion now expected to be taken up on Tuesday, Opposition MPs indicated they may shift focus to rising LPG prices during the day’s proceedings.
The House was adjourned three times before a fourth and final adjournment after it reconvened at 3 pm, as Opposition members continued raising slogans.
After Jaishankar’s statement, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition of violating parliamentary norms. He said the notice to remove Birla had already been accepted and the Government was ready for a discussion, but the Opposition was obstructing proceedings.
Outside Parliament, Opposition leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav staged a protest demanding a debate on the West Asia conflict and criticising the Government for its “silence”.
The Opposition has accused Birla of acting in a “blatantly partisan” manner while conducting proceedings during the first leg of the Budget Session. While the Constitution allows the Speaker to defend himself in the House, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to reply to the debate on the resolution against Birla.
