Lok Sabha rejects Oppn motion to remove Om Birla as Speaker

AN OPPOSITION MOVE to remove Om Birla as speaker was defeated on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha after a heated debate, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah trashing Rahul Gandhi’s contention that he was not allowed to speak in the House, saying the Congress leader was frequently abroad during sessions and skipped discussions willfully as he “does not want to speak”.

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The opposition members rushed into the Well of the House, protesting and raising slogans as the home minister was concluding his speech at the end of the two-day-long debate on the resolution. They demanded an apology for his certain remarks, which they said were “offensive”.

Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair, urged the opposition to take their seats so that he could put the motion to a vote. Amid the din, the resolution was rejected by a voice vote, following which he adjourned the House for the day.

Speaker Birla was not present in the House during the entire period of the debate.