The Opposition is likely to move a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, days after he accused Congress MPs of plotting an "unforeseen act" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources told TNIE on Monday.
The discussion on the non-confidence motion was held at a meeting chaired by Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday morning, and all the opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, which is not a part of the INDIA alliance, are on board, sources said.
The Opposition is required to submit signatures of as many as 100 MPs to move the motion in the Parliament.
The decision came as the Speaker on Monday accused the Opposition parties of "planning" disruptions in the House, before adjourning proceedings till noon.
After a week of heated exchanges between the ruling BJP and the Opposition members, along with disruptions of House proceedings amid continous protests, the Lok Sabha was adjourned yet again as it assembled on Monday.
As the House took up Question Hour, opposition members started raising issues which they demanded should be addressed immediately. Birla said these issues can be raised during the discussion on the Union Budget.
As opposition members, including Congress MPs, continued protests, demanding Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak, the Speaker accused them of "planned" disruptions and adjourned the House till 12 noon.
"During Question Hour, only questions are raised...If you want to discuss any issue, we will discuss during Zero Hour or during discussions on Union Budget...The House is not a place for planned disruption and sloganeering," he said.
The House was again adjourned at 2 pm after the opposition parties insisted that LoP Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak before the Budget discussion.
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Congress MP K C Venugopal said that there was "no space for the opposition" in the House.
"You can see in this session, the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is not being allowed to speak anything in this House. The government side can speak anything. They can attack anybody, speak derogatory things, even against those who are not alive. The Speaker is making allegations against Congress women MPs," he said.
On whether the opposition will move a non-confidence motion against the Speaker, Venugopal said, "you will get to know after the action."
Opposition parties, led by the Congress has been protesting inside and outside the Parliament against the Speaker refusing to allow Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to speak on former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished 'memoir', in which he makes some statements involving PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in connection with the 2020 India-China standoff.
Eight Congress MPs were suspended by the Speaker on February 3, amid continuous protests demanding to let the LoP speak on the issue.
Days later, the Speaker accused the Congress MPs of planning an "unforeseen act" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the discussion on the President's address.
The Speaker alleged he had "concrete information" that many Congress members might move towards Modi's seat and carry out some "unforeseen act" as a result of which he had requested the PM not to come to the House to reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi called it an "absolute lie" and alleged that PM Modi was "hiding behind" the Speaker.