No-confidence motion against Om Birla: What is the procedure for removing the Speaker, how many times has the motion come so far?

Congress has filed a notice of no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. 118 MPs have supported the motion.

The opposition alleges that the Speaker has adopted a biased approach in the House proceedings and suppressed the opposition's voice. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "The Speaker himself has been disrespected. The Speaker is under pressure to issue a statement, which is not correct."

Priyanka Gandhi claimed that there is no question of anyone attacking the Prime Minister. The Speaker has been pressured by the government, which is why he made these statements, because PM Modi did not dare to come to the House that day. Therefore, the Speaker is giving an explanation, which is wrong.

Amidst the Congress's no-confidence motion, questions arise as to whether the motion against Om Birla will be passed in the Lok Sabha. What are the rules regarding a no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker? And how many no-confidence motions have been brought against Speakers in Indian parliamentary history so far?

Constitutional Procedure for Removing the Speaker of the Lok Sabha

The entire process for removing the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from office is governed by Article 94 of the Indian Constitution and Article 200 of the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha.

Any member who wishes to move a motion to remove the Speaker or Deputy Speaker must submit the motion in writing to the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha.

This motion must meet certain conditions for approval, including that the allegations be clearly and precisely worded, and that they contain no arguments, conjectures, innuendos, accusations, or insults.

After receiving the notice, the motion is included in the agenda of business under the name of the member concerned, requesting permission to introduce it.

A date is fixed for the discussion of the motion, which is at least 14 days from the date of the notice.

Importantly, the motion must receive the support of at least 50 members (MPs), it is defeated.

Usually, debate and voting take place within 10 days of the motion's adoption. While the motion is pending consideration, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker cannot preside.

Finally, the motion must be passed by a majority of the then members of the House.

How many no-confidence motions have been passed against the Speaker in history?

Three major no-confidence motions have been moved against the Speaker in the history of the Lok Sabha, but none were successful.

The first was on December 18, 1954, when a motion was moved against the then Speaker G.V. Mavalankar, but the House rejected it after debate.

The second was moved against Hukam Singh on November 24, 1966, but it failed due to a lack of support from 50 members.

The third was against Balram Jakhar on April 15, 1987, which was rejected after debate.

Additionally, there were heated discussions about issuing notices against Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy in 1967, GMC Balayogi in 2001, Meira Kumar in 2011, and Om Birla in 2020, but these were never implemented.

Why is a no-confidence motion being brought?

During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks in Parliament, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to complete his speech. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha wanted to speak on Naravane's book. Following the uproar, eight MPs, including seven from the Congress, were suspended.