The discussion on the no-confidence motion began on Tuesday with sharp exchanges over procedure, including objections from AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress MP KC Venugopal, who said that the House should elect a member who would preside over the debate. They questioned how the choice was made of who would be in the Chair from the panel of Chairpersons.
Initiating the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the resolution was meant to safeguard parliamentary dignity and was not driven by personal animosity. "This resolution has been brought as a responsibility to protect the dignity of the House, not personally against Om Birla," Gogoi said.
He also took a swipe at Rijiju, remarking that parliamentary records would show the minister frequently interrupting Opposition members.
In his remarks, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said he has "no cure" if one believes themselves to be above the Speaker in the House. He suggested that Congress could have chosen Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as its leader in the House.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit back at Rijiju and said Rahul Gandhi makes fearless attacks on the government on issues concerning people.
"There is only one person in the country who has not bowed down before them in the last 12 years. It is the Leader of the Opposition. They cannot digest the truth he speaks," she said.
“Discussion about democratic process and role of Speaker but multiple times my name is being raised, things being said about me,” says Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha.
This House does not represent one party, but the whole country, says Rahul Gandhi
The Lok Sabha resumed its discussion on the resolution against Speaker Om Birla.
“Let the instrument of Opposition against the Speaker not be weaponised to satisfy the ego of some leader or some group,” BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
“11 MPs who had taken money to ask certain questions were expelled from this same parliament and no one made a protest. In the same House, there was a time when black pepper was thrown in the House,” he said.
“There was one brave judge, H.R. Khanna, who decided from ADM Jabalpur that during an Emergency, people’s fundamental rights will not be taken away. The Congress party did not even allow him to stay Chief Justice for even 45 days,” he said.
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Wednesday following vociferous protests by opposition members over various issues, including the hike in LPG prices.
As soon as the House met for the day, opposition members raised various issues and shouted slogans.
Several of them took to sloganeering in the Well of the House.
When it was Congress member Kumari Selja's turn to ask a question, she just remarked that the government should first reduce the LPG price.
Congress MPs on Wednesday protested in the Parliament premises over the alleged shortage of commercial LPG cylinder across the country. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also joined the protest. The Opposition MPs carried the banners saying, "PM is compromised."
The INDIA bloc leaders have sought a discussion on the reported shortage of LPG amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P Sandosh Kumar submitted a suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the reported shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders across the country amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Giving the notice, the MP flagged the longer waiting period and price hike for LPG cylinders, saying that the shortage had created "immense hardship" for the citizens.
He said that the Upper House of the Parliament should be informed about the "actual status of LPG reserves, the steps taken to ensure uninterrupted supply, and the contingency measures being adopted to protect consumers from shortages and price shocks."