Sun Mar 08 12:47:05 UTC 2026: Headline: Parliament Set for Stormy Session as Opposition Moves to Remove Lok Sabha Speaker
The Story:
The Indian Parliament is bracing for a heated second part of the Budget Session, commencing on Monday, March 9, 2026. The primary point of contention is a Motion of Removal against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, initiated by Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed, K. Suresh, and Mallu Ravi, and supported by 118 Opposition members. The motion alleges that Speaker Birla has compromised his impartiality and favored the ruling party. While such motions are rare, they are not unprecedented in Indian parliamentary history.
Key Points:
- The Motion of Removal against Speaker Om Birla has been admitted and will be debated in the Lok Sabha.
- 118 Opposition members have signed the resolution.
- The resolution alleges Speaker Birla has “ceased to maintain an impartial attitude”.
- In the absence of a Deputy Speaker, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, the senior-most MP in the presiding officers committee, is likely to preside over the debate.
- Similar motions have been moved against Lok Sabha Speakers in the past, including G.V. Mavalankar (1954), Hukum Singh (1966), and Balram Jakhar (1987), but none were successful.
- The ruling NDA coalition holds a comfortable majority of approximately 335 seats out of 543, making the motion’s success unlikely.
- The Opposition INDIA bloc has 230 MPs.
- The Opposition will hold a strategy session on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Mallikarjun Kharge’s office.
Key Takeaways:
- The Motion of Removal, though unlikely to succeed due to the NDA’s majority, highlights the deep political divisions and distrust within the Indian Parliament.
- The Opposition is using the motion to publicly challenge the Speaker’s impartiality and put pressure on the government.
- The debate will likely be a platform for both the ruling and opposition parties to articulate their positions on key issues and set the tone for the upcoming political landscape.
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