NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Monday could not take up a resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla amid repeated adjournments, as Opposition members insisted on a debate on the West Asia situation.
The resolution may be taken up on Tuesday, as the government has allotted 10 hours for discussion, said sources.
An Opposition MP told this newspaper that it was decided at an INDIA bloc meeting, chaired by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, that the Opposition must corner the government on holding a full-fledged debate on the West Asian crisis while the resolution may be taken up on Tuesday.
Gaurav Gogoi, Manish Tewari, Deepender Singh Hooda, and Jothimani will participate in the discussion on the no-confidence motion against Birla.
Earlier in the day, as soon as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rose to make a statement on the “situation in West Asia”, Opposition members started raising slogans against the government and demanded a full-fledged discussion on the ongoing crisis.
Jagadambika Pal, who was chairing the proceedings, said while a resolution to remove Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker was already on the agenda, the Opposition was pushing for a notice for adjournment of the proceedings to discuss West Asia. He wondered how the opposition wanted to discuss the two issues on the same day.
As proceedings resumed, the Opposition MPs continued raising slogans. Pal reminded the Opposition that the no-confidence resolution against the Speaker was already on the House agenda, and their adjournment notice seeking debate on the West Asia crisis could not be taken up. He further claimed that the Opposition was working with a “political agenda” to disrupt proceedings by preventing the House from taking up the resolution against Birla.
Pal said the government and the Chair were willing to take up the resolution, but the Opposition was creating obstacles, even as Birla was not presiding over the House until the no-confidence motion against him was settled.
After Jaishankar completed his statement, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition of not following the ethics of the House. He said their notice to remove Birla from office has already been accepted and the government is willing to discuss it, but the opposition was disrupting the proceedings.
The House was adjourned for the day shortly after it reassembled at 3 pm, following an earlier adjournment due to relentless protests by opposition members.