VIJAYAWADA: Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during the debate on the resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, TDP floor leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu strongly opposed the motion, calling it a ‘spectacle, anarchy and hypocrisy’.
He noted that under Article 94(c) of the Constitution, removal of the Speaker requires an absolute majority of the House. With the Opposition lacking the numbers, he said the motion is merely a political spectacle that diminishes the dignity of a constitutional office.
Recalling the legacy of the late GMC Balayogi, he said the TDP had earlier shaped the Speaker’s office when Balayogi became India’s first Dalit Speaker and the first Speaker from a regional party. Balayogi strengthened parliamentary accountability by initiating key reforms such as the establishment of the Lok Sabha’s first Ethics Committee and introducing Rule 374A to maintain discipline in the House. He also upheld constitutional propriety during the historic No-Confidence Motion of April 19, 1999, when the government fell by a single vote.
Contrasting this benchmark with the present motion, Devarayalu said the tenure of Speaker Om Birla has been marked by strong productivity and institutional reforms. The 17th Lok Sabha recorded nearly 97% productivity, while the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha recorded over 372 hours of functioning with productivity exceeding 103%. Initiatives such as digitisation of parliamentary archives, digital attendance systems, the Parliament Digital Library and the Sansad Bhashini AI translation platform have modernised parliamentary functioning. He also noted that the Speaker chose not to preside over the House once the motion against him was admitted.