WITH no new, smart and logical argument in its favour, the Opposition parties allowed the Government to sail through the discussion of Motion of ‘No Confidence’ against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla whose position the House retained and honoured through voice vote. The Opposition almost looked like having played into the Government’s hands by offering its already flattened narrative of the Speaker’s partisanism. As the House discussed the Motion, Opposition, devoid of substantial points, kept disrupting the proceedings by raising hackneyed slogans that made only noise but no point. Even though members from the ruling benches made spirited defence of the Speaker’s actions, they looked almost assured that the motion would fall through, thanks to the Opposition that had no strategy to push its cause. Later 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 vote.

 

But as the protests continued, he sought the vote of the House and the resolution was rejected by a voice vote, following which he adjourned the House for the day. Earlier, the Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at the Opposition for bringing the motion for the removal of Birla as Speaker. The Opposition objected to certain remarks of Shah and started shouting slogans, disrupted the proceedings and sought an apology from him. Responding to the debate, Shah asserted that the House will be run by its own rules and not by the rules of a party. “It is not an ordinary occurrence as after nearly four decades, a motion has been brought against the Speaker,” 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 the BJP has been in the Opposition for the longest period of time, but the party has 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 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. Earlier, former Law Minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said the resolution to remove the Lok Sabha speaker should not be weaponised to “satisfy the ego” of a leader. Participating in the debate Prasad said it is painful that the House is discussing such an issue, as the move is a “result of the ego of a leader”.