Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has taken a big decision. He has announced not to go to the Lok Sabha House and sit on the Speaker’s chair until the no-confidence motion brought against him by the opposition is discussed and decided. According to IANS news agency, he has taken this decision on moral grounds so that the fairness of the House is maintained and the motion is resolved quickly. There is no compulsion to do so in parliamentary rules, but Om Birla has made his stand clear, ignoring the attempts to persuade both the government and the opposition.

When will the Speaker’s decision come into effect?

The second phase of the budget session will start from March 9. According to sources, discussion on the no-confidence motion may begin on the same day (March 9). Om Birla has decided that till then he will not go to the House nor sit on the Speaker’s chair. Sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat said that this is an ‘ethical step’ so that no party can say that the Speaker himself is influencing the process.

When will the Speaker’s decision come into effect?

The second phase of the budget session will start from March 9. According to sources, discussion on the no-confidence motion may begin on the same day (March 9). Om Birla has decided that till then he will not go to the House nor sit on the Speaker’s chair. Sources in the Lok Sabha Secretariat said that this is an ‘ethical step’ so that no party can say that the Speaker himself is influencing the process.

What will happen next now?

1. Check notice: The Lok Sabha Secretariat is already examining the notice. The Speaker himself has instructed General Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh that action should be taken as per the rules.
2. Start of discussion: Discussion on the proposal may begin in the House on March 9. For this, at least 50 MPs will have to stand up and show their support, so that a formal debate can begin.
3. Presiding Command: Speaker Om Birla himself will be absent, so the Deputy Speaker or any other member will preside over the House.
4. Voting and decision: Voting will take place after discussion. To pass the proposal, a simple majority (about 272 votes) of the total membership of the Lok Sabha is required. Since NDA has majority, the chances of the proposal being passed are very less. If passed, the Speaker will have to step down.

This step has become a topic of much discussion in Parliament. The opposition is considering this as a victory against the bias of the Speaker. This decision of Om Birla is the first time that a speaker has decided to keep himself isolated during such a motion. Its impact on the proceedings of Parliament will be seen in the coming days.

Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha have today given notice of no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla. This notice has been given under the leadership of Congress and it has signatures of about 118 to 119 MPs. The opposition alleges that the Speaker is being biased and is not giving the opposition MPs a chance to speak. Due to this, there has been an uproar in the Parliament for several days and the proceedings of the House are being adjourned again and again.

How was the notice issued against the Lok Sabha Speaker?

This notice has been given under Article 94 of the Constitution and Rule 200 of the Lok Sabha. It has been signed by MPs from parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK. But Trinamool Congress (TMC) did not sign this notice. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also did not sign this notice, even though he is the leader of the opposition.

After receiving the notice, Speaker Om Birla said that the Lok Sabha Secretariat will investigate this notice and take further action as per the rules. He has given instructions to process it as soon as possible. But the opposition says that this step is necessary to protect democracy, because the speaker’s attitude is suppressing the opposition.

What happens after notice against Lok Sabha Speaker?

1. Scrutiny of Notice: First of all the Lok Sabha Secretariat will check this notice. If it is found correct as per the rules, it will be accepted. In this, signatures of at least 50 MPs are required, which has been completed here.

2. Bringing the Motion to the House: If the notice is accepted, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker will bring it for debate in the House. The Speaker himself cannot preside over this debate, so the Deputy Speaker or any other member will sit in the chair.

3. Discussion and Voting: This proposal will be discussed in the House. Voting will take place after this. To pass the proposal, a simple majority (at least 272 votes) of the total membership of the House is required. At present the NDA alliance has the majority, so the chances of the proposal being passed are less. But if passed, the speaker will have to leave his post.

4. Time Limit: Generally, action should be taken on such notice within 14 days, but it depends on the situation in the House. If the House is running, it could happen soon.

This is not the first time such a step has been taken against the Speaker, but success is rare because the ruling party has the majority. This step of the opposition is mainly to draw attention and put pressure on the attitude of the speaker.

What is the whole matter?

Tension has increased in the Lok Sabha for the last few days between the opposition MPs and the ruling party. The opposition says that Speaker Om Birla did not allow him to speak on important issues. Rahul Gandhi did not get a chance to speak, due to which there was a lot of noise in the House. The opposition accused the Speaker of showing inclination towards the ruling party and suspending opposition MPs. In this anger, today at 1:14 pm, Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi, Mohammad Javed and K Suresh have submitted this notice to Lok Sabha Secretariat General Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh.