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Om Birla
The opposition notice for removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla could have been rejected due to flaws in drafting, but he directed officials to get it rectified so that it can be listed at the earliest, parliamentary sources said. As many as 118 opposition MPs had signed the notice submitted to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh on Tuesday afternoon. Later in the day, the opposition withdrew the notice and replaced it with another one correcting the date. "The notice reportedly mentions the events of February 2025 four times, on the basis of which it could have been rejected as per the rules," the sources said. The Speaker directed the Lok Sabha Secretariat to have the defective notice corrected and then proceed with it. "Birla ordered prompt action as per the rules," a functionary said. Sources said upon receipt of the revised notice, a speedy review will be conducted as per the rules. Opposition parties on Tuesday put in motion the process to oust Birla as Lok Sabha
The opposition on Tuesday submitted a notice for moving a resolution to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from office for disallowing Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders from speaking in the House on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, as well as for the suspension of eight MPs. Congress MP and chief whip K Suresh submitted the notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat on behalf of several opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the DMK. The TMC MPs, however, did not sign the notice and were not a party to it. About 120 MPs of parties such as the Congress, DMK and Samajwadi Party, had already signed a notice for moving the resolution, the sources said. The Lok Sabha has not been functioning properly ever since Gandhi was not allowed to speak on February 2.
With the opposition asserting that there was no imminent threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha last week, lower House secretariat sources on Monday said that several women MPs had moved "aggressively" towards his seat and Speaker Om Birla had genuine concerns regarding Modi's safety. Citing the sequence of events which unfolded in the House on Wednesday, they said the speaker had "genuine and well-founded concerns regarding the safety of the prime minister" and the "maintenance of order" in the House. Birla's advice to the prime minister not to enter the LS chamber at that juncture was guided solely by the "need to ensure the smooth functioning of parliamentary business and to safeguard the dignity and sanctity of the institution," the Lok Sabha secretariat sources said. The assertion of the sources came hours after Congress' women Lok Sabha MPs wrote to Birla claiming that under pressure from the ruling party to defend the "non-appearance" of Prime Minister Narend
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said he had concrete information that many Congress MPs could carry out an "unexpected act" by reaching the spot where Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits and therefore he asked him not to come to the House to deliver his address. If this incident had taken place, then this would have left the democratic traditions of the country in shreds, Birla said as the House reassembled at 3 PM. Lashing out at opposition members, the Speaker said the conduct of some of them in his office on Wednesday was not appropriate and in fact was "like a black spot". "With sadness I have to inform that some members displayed such behaviour in the House on Wednesday that had never been witnessed in its history," he said. The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed dramatic scenes as women opposition MPs charged towards the prime minister's seat holding banners ahead of his scheduled speech, leading to adjournment of proceedings for the day. Modi was not present in the House
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a delegation of presiding officers from India to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Barbados in October which will have a session on financial transparency in elections. Birla on Sunday evening chaired a meeting of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies from across India to brief them about various aspects of the conference. The 68th CPC is scheduled to be held from October 5-12 at Bridgetown, according to a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The Indian delegation will comprise Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and presiding officers and secretaries of state and Union Territory legislatures from across the country. Birla will address the General Assembly of the CPC on the theme of 'The Commonwealth: A Global Partner'. In addition, members of Indian Parliamentary Delegation will be taking part in seven thematic workshops, including on 'Strengthening our Institutions to Support Democracy', 'Leveraging Technology:
Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Monday following vociferous protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the voter roll revision in Bihar and other issues. When the House met at 11 am, opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising slogans and showing placards with their demand for discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. Initially, Speaker Om Birla tried to continue the business of the House -- Question Hour -- by allowing members to ask six questions related to several union ministries and departments amidst the din. After about 15 minutes of proceedings, the Speaker asked the protesting members to go back to their seats and warned that if they try to damage government properties, he would be forced to take strong action against them. "No one has the right to damage government properties. If you try to do so, I will be forced to take action," he said, adding there were instances in some
Leaders of several Opposition parties, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, on Friday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to schedule a special discussion on the ongoing voter list revision in Bihar without any further delay. In their letter to Birla, the Opposition MPs expressed deep concern over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, especially a few months before the state assembly elections. The signatories to the letter included Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gandhi, Congress' Deputy Leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi, DMK's TR Baalu, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, RSP's N K Premachandran, SP's Lalji Verma, TMC's Kakoli Ghose Dastidar, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Arvind Savant and RJD's Abhay Kumar. "We, the undersigned Members of Parliament representing various Opposition parties, wish to express our deep concern over the ongoing voter list revision in Bihar, especially a few months before the state assembly elections," the opposition MPs said in their ...
Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed smooth functioning of the Question Hour for the first time since the beginning of the Monsoon session on July 21. The House has been witnessing repeated disruptions over the Opposition's demand for a debate on electoral roll revision in Bihar and Operation Sindoor. While the debate on Operation Sindoor commenced in the House on Monday, the Opposition disrupted the first half of the day demanding an assurance from the government that a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar will be held after that. Tuesday was the first time in six days that the House could take up the Question Hour without disruptions. Speaker Om Birla has been insisting that members should participate in the Question Hour as issues related to key ministries are taken up and the government is held accountable.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday urged leaders of political parties to send representatives who are empowered to take decisions to meetings for finalising the agenda for Parliament. Birla's remarks came as the opposition members sought an assurance from the government on discussion on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar after the conclusion of the debate on Operation Sindoor. The opposition members were in the Well of the House, raising slogans and seeking an assurance before the Lok Sabha took up the discussion on Operation Sindoor. Birla said that at the all-party meeting chaired by him last week, all leaders sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor, which was agreed to, and 16 hours were allocated for the same. "There is something called commitment. Leaders of all parties had sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor and now you are in the Well of the House raising other issues," he said, addressing opposition members. "You can't demand a discussion on any issue from th
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday convened a meeting of senior leaders of political parties, where it was decided that the House will function smoothly from Monday onwards, parliamentary sources said. Amid repeated disruptions for the last five days, Birla told leaders that he wanted the House to have meaningful discussions and pushed for decorum during Question Hour, they said. It was decided that the House will function smoothly from Monday, the sources said. Lok Sabha will take up a discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' on Monday, they added. The opposition has been raking up issues such as special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, US President Donald Trump's claim on India-Pakistan 'ceasefire' and the Pahalgam terror attack since the Monsoon session commenced on July 21.
A report of the parliamentary committee set up to scrutinise the new Income Tax Bill, 2025, which would replace the six-decade old Income Tax Act, is scheduled to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The 31-member Select Committee, chaired by BJP leader Baijayant Panda, was appointed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to scrutinise The new Income Tax Bill, 2025, which was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 13 in the Lok Sabha. The Committee has made 285 suggestions and at its meeting on July 16 adopted the report on new I-T Bill, 2025, which will now be tabled in the House for further action. The simplified Income Tax Bill, which is half the size of the 1961 Income Tax Act, seeks to achieve tax certainty by minimising the scope of litigation and fresh interpretation. The new bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha, has a word count of 2.6 lakh, lower than 5.12 lakh in the I-T Act. The number of sections is 536, as against 819 effective sections in the existing ...
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday urged all political parties to reduce disruptions in House proceedings and asserted it is time to change past practices. Addressing the national level conference of Urban Local Bodies here, Birla said that people would teach a lesson to political parties that resort to disruption of the House proceedings. Birla said there has been some reduction in disruption of the House proceedings in the 18th Lok Sabha, which had its first sitting in June last year. "It is time for change. If we have to strengthen democracy and hold democratic institutions accountable, we have to ensure that the Houses function in a proper manner," he added. The speaker said all political parties should make efforts to reduce disruptions in proceedings of the House. Parliament's Monsoon Session is scheduled to begin on July 21 and continue till August 21, a week longer than the original plan to conclude on August 12. Birla said
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said urban local bodies (ULBs) should function on the lines of Parliament with regular Question Hour and Zero Hour to raise issues concerning citizens. He was addressing the first National Level Conference of Urban Local Bodies in States and Union Territories. "I am pained to hear about meetings of ULBs getting adjourned amid pandemonium and key agenda such as budget getting approved without any discussion," Birla said. ULBs should also function on the lines of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies and find solutions to civic issues through regular debate and discussion in Question Hour and Zero Hour, he said. Birla also said parliamentary proceedings, which were drowned in ruckus in the earlier Lok Sabhas, were witnessing fewer disruptions in the current Lok Sabha due to the efforts of leaders of all political parties. "Changes were witnessed in the 18th Lok Sabha, when political parties agreed to allow the House to function to raise issues of