New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Secretariat has asked Opposition members to amend their notice seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, citing procedural deficiencies in the document, parliamentary sources said on Wednesday.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the notice contains references to four incidents from February 2025 that may not conform to the requirements laid down under the rules governing such motions. These issues could have led to the notice being set aside. However, instead of rejecting it outright, the Speaker has directed the Secretariat to give the Opposition an opportunity to rectify the shortcomings.
Sources indicated that Birla has instructed that the matter be processed swiftly and strictly in line with established procedure. Once a revised notice is submitted, it will be examined and, if found compliant, taken up after the second leg of the Budget Session begins.
The development follows a move by the Congress and several partners in the INDIA bloc to initiate proceedings against the Speaker under Article 94(c) of the Constitution. On Tuesday, a formal notice was handed to Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh by Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi, chief whip K. Suresh and whip Mohamed Jawed.
The motion reportedly carries the backing of 118 Members of Parliament from parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Left parties, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). The Trinamool Congress has not endorsed the notice. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s name is also not among the signatories, as one of the cited instances concerns him directly.
Opposition leaders have accused the Speaker of favouring the treasury benches, curtailing debates and limiting opportunities for Opposition MPs to raise key issues. They have alleged that requests for adjournment motions and structured discussions were either declined or deferred.
In keeping with convention, Birla is not expected to preside over the House while the motion concerning his removal remains under consideration. Senior parliamentary sources said he has chosen to step aside from conducting proceedings during this period.
