What will happen to the opposition's motion against Om Birla? Three applications have been rejected in the past; Nehru had a special message.

News Topical, Digital Desk : India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, during a debate on a motion moved by the opposition in 1954 to remove the then Lok Sabha Speaker GV Mavalankar, gave a message to Congress MPs that they were not bound by any whip or directive.

He urged all MPs to consider the matter "irrespective of party affiliations." Nehru then told the then Lok Sabha members that the issue should be viewed not from a party perspective, but in the context of the dignity of the House.

Motion against Om Birla

A notice to remove the current Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, was moved by opposition members last Tuesday. The notice will be listed at the start of the second phase of the Budget Session, which begins on March 9. The opposition has discussed three similar motions in the past, focusing on the removal of Speaker Birla.

The first such situation occurred on December 18, 1954, when the opposition moved a motion to remove the then Lok Sabha Speaker, Mavalankar. More than 50 members argued in support of the motion. Nehru urged the opposition to allow more time for the debate.

Opposition's allegation

The opposition launched a scathing attack on Nehru, accusing the then Speaker of bias. Nehru defended the Speaker, stating that this was a serious matter when it came to the dignity of Parliament. When we challenge the Speaker's integrity, we become inferior to our countrymen and the world. Congress had a strong majority with over 360 members, and the resolution was defeated by a voice vote.

In 1966, a motion against Speaker Sardar Hukam Singh failed to proceed because it failed to garner the 50 members required for initial support. On April 15, 1987, when the opposition moved a motion to remove then-Speaker Balram Jakhar, Rajiv Gandhi twice quoted Nehru's remarks from the 1954 motion debate and condemned the opposition for questioning the Speaker's integrity. The motion was defeated.

An application was also given against Jagdeep Dhankhar

In December 2024, the opposition submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha to remove Deputy Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar as Chairman of the Upper House, alleging partisan conduct. However, it was rejected at the initial stage on procedural grounds.

Read More: PM Modi spoke to Balendra Shah over phone, congratulated him on his victory in Nepal elections