The Lok Sabha Secretariat has returned the Opposition’s notice seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, citing procedural shortcomings, while allowing members to rectify the deficiencies before further action is taken.
Sources said the notice, submitted by MPs from the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, contained four references to events from February 2025, which could render it inadmissible under the rules. Instead of rejecting it outright, Birla directed officials to permit the Opposition to correct the deficiencies and resubmit the motion in accordance with prescribed procedure.
The revised notice, once submitted, will be examined promptly under the rules and is expected to be listed after the commencement of the second phase of the Budget Session, sources added.
The move comes a day after the Congress and its allies formally initiated proceedings under Article 94(c) of the Constitution to remove the Speaker, accusing him of partisan conduct and repeatedly curtailing the Opposition’s space in the House.
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They alleged that Birla denied Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs adequate time to speak, disallowed adjournment motions and selectively permitted interventions from the treasury benches.
The notice was submitted to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh by Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi, chief whip K Suresh and whip Mohamed Jawed. It bears the signatures of 118 MPs from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Left parties, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-SP. The Trinamool Congress has not signed the notice.
Rahul Gandhi’s signature is absent, as he figures in one of the four instances cited by the Opposition in its case against the Speaker.
Top sources indicated that Birla has decided not to preside over Lok Sabha proceedings until the notice for his removal is disposed of, saying he chose to step aside from House business on moral grounds.
The development has further sharpened tensions between the government and the Opposition during the ongoing Budget Session, with both sides trading charges over adherence to parliamentary norms and procedures.
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