No-Confidence Motion Filed Against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

The Opposition on Tuesday submitted a no-confidence notice seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla , citing repeated instances of alleged bias and procedural unfairness . The motion, spearheaded by the Indian National Congress , carries the signatures of 118 MPs , according to party sources. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi did not sign the notice, with Congress leaders indicating this follows parliamentary convention , under which the LoP may avoid personally signing a motion seeking the Speaker’s removal in order to uphold institutional propriety.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the notice was submitted under Article 94(c) of the Constitution and relevant Lok Sabha rules. The Opposition listed several grievances, including Rahul Gandhi allegedly not being allowed to speak during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, the Chair’s handling of references to an unpublished memoir by former Army Chief M. M. Naravane , the suspension of eight Opposition MPs amid recent disruptions, and personal remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey that were termed objectionable. The notice also refers to remarks by the Speaker that he had advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend a sitting due to possible disorder, which Opposition parties said reflected an unusual role for the Chair.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor publicly backed the party’s decision, while Manickam Tagore described the step as extraordinary but compelled by circumstances, adding that personal respect for the Speaker remained despite strong concerns over suppression of Opposition voices. The Trinamool Congress , however, adopted a cautious approach. Senior leader Abhishek Banerjee said his party had urged the Opposition to first formally communicate grievances to the Speaker and await a response, indicating TMC would consider signing the notice only if no satisfactory reply emerges within a few days.

Under Article 94(c) , a motion to remove the Speaker requires prior notice and must be passed by a majority of all the then members of the House , a high threshold in practice. Parliamentary experts note that no such removal attempt has ever succeeded , largely because the government of the day typically commands the numbers, making the present move politically symbolic as well as procedural. Government sources said Om Birla has directed the Lok Sabha Secretary-General to examine the notice and proceed according to rules, and that on moral grounds he may refrain from presiding over sittings until the matter is processed.

Parliamentary records show that only twice, in 1955 against Speaker M. A. Ayyangar and in 1987 against Speaker Balram Jakhar , had a no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker was debated and voted upon, and both were defeated.