New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) Lok Sabha has listed for Monday a notice by Opposition members to move a resolution to remove Om Birla as the Speaker.
Once 50 members of the House stand up upon being called by the Chair, the notice will be considered as admitted. Then the resolution will be discussed and voted upon.
If 50 members do not stand in support of the notice, the resolution cannot be moved.
According to the agenda paper for Monday, the resolution is the only item listed as the business of the day.
Both the ruling BJP and the principal opposition Congress have issued whip to their respective Lok Sabha MPs to be present in the House when the issue comes up for consideration.
The numbers are heavily stacked in favour of the government which will ensure that the resolution is defeated.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had recently told PTI that the resolution would come up before the House on March 9.
The notice will be moved by three Congress members – Mohamed Jawed, K Suresh and Mallu Ravi.
The proposed resolution questioned the conduct of the Speaker in disallowing the Leader of the Opposition and other Opposition leaders to speak and in “making unwarranted allegations against women MPs belonging to the Opposition”.
It also referred to the suspension of Opposition MPs for an entire session for raising issues of “public concern and not rebuking ruling party members for making wholly objectionable and derogatory remarks against former PMs”.
It further alleged that the opposition felt Birla has ceased to maintain “an impartial attitude necessary to command the confidence of all sections of the House” and that in his partisan attitude, he is disregarding the rights of members of the House and makes pronouncements and gives rulings calculated to affect and undermine such rights.
The proposed resolution also accused that Birla “openly espouses the version of the ruling party on all controversial matters” and that all these acts constitute “a serious danger to the proper functioning of this House and ventilating effectively the felt concerns and grievances of the people, and therefore resolves that he be removed from his office”.
Constitution allows the speaker, in this case Birla, to be present in the House. He can defend himself and vote on the resolution but cannot chair proceedings when the matter is being discussed.
Though rules are silent, he may sit in prominent rows of the treasury benches.
Since he does not have a “division number” like other members, he will not be able to use the automated voting system if the resolution comes up for vote.
He will have to use a slip to register his vote.
Lok Sabha Secretariat officials said the resolution will come up before the lower house around 12 noon after Question Hour.
Rules allow those wanting to speak on the resolution for 15 minutes, but the presiding officer has the right to extend the 15-minute limit.
The House may also not take up the Question Hour between 11 am and 12 noon as it may get adjourned to pay respect to sitting member from Shillong Ricky Syngkon who passed away on February 19.
Three Lok Sabha speakers – G V Mavlankar (1954), Hukam Singh (1966) and Balram Jakhar (1987) – had faced no-confidence motions in the past, which were negatived. PTI NAB BJ ZMN
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