Parliament Resumes: Stormy start for session as LS Speaker Om Birla faces removal motion, West Asia crisis to dominate
PTC News Desk: The second half of the Budget Session is expected to resume with confrontational start as the Lok Sabha Speaker is set to face opposition-backed no confidence motion, while escalating Middle East crisis are also expected to dominate the proceedings.
A motion against Birla, signed by 118 Opposition MPs, accuses him of acting in a “blatantly partisan” manner while conducting proceedings in the House. Following the notice, Birla recused himself from presiding over the Lok Sabha and is expected to return to the chair only after the matter is decided.
Despite the political tension, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a comfortable majority in Parliament, so the motion against Om Birla is unlikely to pass. Narendra Modi has openly supported Birla, saying that the Speaker has followed the values of the Constitution and parliamentary democracy.
At the same time, the government is keeping a close watch on the safety of Indian citizens in Gulf countries as the war in the Middle East enters its tenth day. Recently, Modi spoke with several regional leaders, including Haitham bin Tarik, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Mohammed bin Salman, stressing the importance of protecting the large Indian community living there.
Opposition parties are expected to question the government about India’s diplomatic stand on the conflict, the rise in oil prices and possible problems in global energy supplies. The situation has become more serious as groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon have also become involved.
On the domestic front, political clashes are also expected in Parliament. Opposition parties plan to raise concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may respond by raising questions about protocol issues during Droupadi Murmu’s recent visit to the state.
Before the session, senior leaders of the Indian National Congress — including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi — met in New Delhi to plan their strategy. The party intends to raise several issues such as energy security, unemployment and the demand to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
- PTC NEWS
