Om Birla Decides Not To Attend Parliament Till Outcome Of No-Confidence Motion Against Him

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has decided not to attend the Parliament till there is an outcome of the no-confidence motion moved against him by 118 MPs. 

This comes hours after Congress submitted the no-confidence motion against Birla on behalf of the Opposition. The motion was submitted by Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Mohammad Javed and K Suresh at 1.14 pm on Tuesday to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh under Rule 94C of the Rules and Procedures of the House.

The notice, signed by 118 MPs, accused Birla of conducting the business of the Lok Sabha in a “blatantly partisan manner”. It claimed that on several occasions, leaders of Opposition parties have been denied of their “basic democratic right” by not being allowed to speak in the Parliament.

The notice highlighted three recent instances:

1. On 2 February 2025, Shri Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was not allowed to complete his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. This is not an isolated instance. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is almost invariably not allowed to speak.
2. On 3 February 2025, Eight Opposition Members of Parliament were arbitrarily suspended for the entire Budget Session and are being penalised merely for exercising their democratic rights.
    
3. On 4 February 2025, a Member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party was permitted to make wholly objectionable and personalised attacks on two former Prime Ministers without being reprimanded even once for disregarding established conventions and norms of propriety. In spite of our request, no action has been taken against this particular Member of Parliament, who is a habitual offender.

Notably, the notice was not signed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Also Read- Congress Submits No-Confidence Motion Against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; 118 MPs Sign Notice