Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Setting the stage for a fresh showdown between BJP-led NDA and opposition, Lok Sabha will take up on March 9 a resolution backed by MPs from Congress and its allies for removal of Speaker Om Birla for his alleged partisan conduct, as Parliament reconvenes for Budget session’s second part from Monday.Governing NDA’s numerical supremacy – it has 293 MPs in the current strength of 541 members in the House – renders inevitability to the motion’s defeat, but it will test the unity in opposition’s ranks as some of its constituents, including TMC, had not backed the resolution, leading to confidence among treasury benches members that Birla could bag support from outside the bloc as well. BJP, Cong issue whips ahead of Birla removal vote Both BJP and Congress have issued whips to their respective LS members, asking them to ensure their presence in the House as they seek to marshal maximum strength as a division of votes is expected.While BJP’s whip has called for a mandatory attendance of its MPs on the first two days, Congress’s directive stands for the first three days. Rules allow Birla to be present in the House, while not occupying the Chair, and defend himself. LS’s agenda for Monday cites the resolution moved by three Congress MPs. The notice for resolution was supported by 118 MPs from Congress, SP and DMK, besides a few others.The opposition’s resolution cites Birla’s decisions to disallow the leader of the opposition in LS, Rahul Gandhi, and others to speak, making “unwarranted allegations” against women MPs, suspending eight opposition MPs, and “not rebuking ruling party members for making objectionable and derogatory” remarks against former PMs.“He (Birla) has ceased to maintain an impartial attitude necessary to command the confidence of all sections of the House; that in his partisan attitude he disregards the rights of MPs and makes pronouncements and gives rulings calculated to affect and undermine such rights; that he openly espouses the version of the ruling party on all controversial matters,” the resolution moved by the opposition said, according to the agenda. Disposal of the motion will allow Birla — who has stopped attending the House taking a high moral ground since 118 opposition MPs submitted the notice on Feb 10 — to return to the Chair to preside over govt’s key legislative agenda. A view within NDA is that several non-NDA MPs may back Birla. The opposition’s notice marked its increasingly acrimonious ties with the govt, which was on full display during the session’s first half after Rahul’s reference to the content of the unpublished book of ex-army chief M M Naravane to target govt was disallowed by Birla.This, along with the suspension of eight opposition MPs for allegedly disrupting proceedings and the speech of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey attacking members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, were cited by opposition to express its lack of faith in Birla.
