Parliament Budget session LIVE: Lok Sabha discusses resolution to remove Birla; Rajya Sabha discusses working of the Rural Development Ministry

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra says that the Constitution mandates that the posts of Speaker and deputy Speaker shall be appointed as soon as the post falls vacant but there is no deputy Speaker currently.

She also says that the consensus of the House was not taken into account on who will preside over the proceedings on the resolution.

She says Speaker Om Birla ordered the largest mass suspension of MPs in the history of Indian Parliament. “This one episode alone accounted for over 40% of all Lok Sabha suspensions since 2004,” she says, adding he did so because MPs wanted government’s statement on breach of Parliament security.

She says Mr. Birla presided over the passage of the three criminal Bills without any discussion and remarks that Mr. Birla was hindering democracy. BJP members object to the remarks and Mr. Krishna Prasad Tenneti in the chair says that an objectionable word will be removed from the record.

Ms. Moitra asks a Marshall, whose voice could be heard on the Speaker’s microphone, to stop talking and says, “he is sitting on the chair and not you.” She continues to speak on suspension of MPs but Mr. Tenneti intervenes to say MPs are suspended by the House and not by the Speaker. Ms. Moitra quips, ”I am glad that you are reminded of this by the marshal and I will take your point,” and thanks the marshal again and changes her remarks to say the Speaker presided over the House during the suspensions. She says the marshal should be added as the tenth member of the panel of chairpersons.

Tension raises in the House and BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab asks Mr. Tenneti to warn Ms. Moitra against such remarks. Mr. Tenneti says he agrees and Ms. Moitra’s remarks were against the Chair. Ms. Moitra replies, “We are moving a no-confidence motion against the Chair, obviously the comments will be against the Chair.”