Congress files no-confidence motion against Om Birla, claims support of 119 MPs

The standoff in the Lok Sabha escalated on Tuesday as opposition parties formally moved a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla during the ongoing Budget Session.

The Congress submitted the notice to the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, seeking the Speaker’s removal and marking a sharp turn in the confrontation between the opposition and the treasury benches.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the no-confidence motion notice was submitted at 1.14 pm under Rule 94C of the Rules and Procedures of the Lok Sabha. "Notice for resolution to remove speaker given under Article 94-C of the Constitution to the Lok Sabha secretary general," Gogoi said. 

He said the opposition was compelled to take this step following repeated complaints over the conduct of House proceedings. According to Gaurav Gogoi, the no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla carries the signatures of approximately 119 MPs from Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party and others.

Why did the Opposition move the no-confidence motion against the Speaker?

Congress leaders said the numbers underline broad opposition support and reflect growing concern over alleged bias, denial of speaking time, and disruptions during the session.

In their notice against Birla, accessed by PTI, the Opposition said that the Speaker cast blatantly false allegations against the grand old party's members. They also said that Om Birla's remarks against their members are "indicative of 'abuse of this constitutional office'." 

It mentioned that 8 opposition MPs were arbitrarily suspended and are being penalised for exercising their democratic rights. "On several occasions, leaders of opposition parties have just not been allowed to speak, which is their basic right," the letter read. 

They also said that they gave the notice under Article 94(c) because of the "blatantly partisan manner" in which the Speaker has been conducting the business of the Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha in disarray

Previously, BJP women MPs wrote to Birla seeking the "strictest possible action, under the rules" against Opposition MPs over the February 4 ruckus. They accused Opposition MPs of entering the well, climbing the Speaker's table and disrupting proceedings. 

The Lok Sabha has been in disarray ever since Gandhi was not allowed to speak on February 2, the day after Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget in the Parliament. The impasse worsened last week as Rahul Gandhi quoted excerpts from an unpublished memoir by former army chief General (Retd.) MM Naravane on the India-China relations. 

For the first in over two decades, the logjam was so intense that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could reply to a debate on the President's speech in the Lok Sabha. Following this, Birla claimed that he had credible information that many Congress MPs "might have reached the PM's seat and caused some unexpected incidents" when Modi was initially scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

The Rajya Sabha started the discussion on the Union Budget 2026-27.