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No-confidence motion against Birla brought to preserve House dignity: Gaurav Gogoi
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said the no-confidence motion is not to target Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla or the Chair
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday opened the debate on the no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying it is not to target him or the Chair but to preserve Parliament’s dignity.
Gogoi said microphones in the Parliament have been weaponised as they are often switched off to ensure that the voices of the Opposition leaders are not heard. He added that Birla interrupted the leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s speech, when he spoke on important issues such as the India-US trade deal.
“In February, when the LoP spoke on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, he was stopped at least 20 times. The Speaker, the Chair, the parliamentary affairs, defence, the home minister, and others interrupted the proceedings. All that the LoP wanted to know was why the then army chief was told by the government, ‘Jo uchit samjho woh karo [do whatever you deem appropriate’],” he said, referring to former army chief Manoj Naravane’s unpublished memoir.
Gandhi’s repeated attempts last month to refer to a magazine report based on the memoir to question the government’s handling of the 2020 China border clash sparked a row in the Lok Sabha. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members accused the Congress leader of “misleading” the House.
Gagoi said Gandhi was interrupted while speaking on such a critical issue. “When the army needed the defence minister, he was made to wait. We are not Pakistan. Our army was asking the political leadership about the decisions to take while the enemy tanks were approaching. Our leader was simply asking why the [Prime Minister Narendra Modi] told the army ‘jo uchit samhjo woh karo’,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi said that the Speaker interrupted the LoP when he was highlighting other truths. “In this debate, it should be clear on which issue the LOP was speaking when he was interrupted.”
He questioned what made India rush into a trade deal. “What made India give concessions that affect our farmers. Why did the Prime Minister support the deal? What kind of pressure was the government under? Was the government under pressure because of the names in the Epstein files and the other names that there may have been?” he asked, referring to documents, images, videos, and emails detailing the activities of convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his circle.
Gogoi said that they were bringing the resolution with a heavy heart and clarified that it was not a personal attack. “We were compelled to bring this resolution. The Speaker’s personal relationship is good with everyone. But we were compelled to bring this resolution to save democracy and the dignity of the Parliament. The Parliament’s dignity and rules have to be protected.”
He said they are doing this to save the House and the people’s belief in democracy. “The Parliament is a temple where everyone can enter. You may be from the Left, a politician with experience, or independent. This place is open to all, irrespective of gender or faith, so the Speaker’s role is very important. Constitutional morality demands impartiality. The Speaker is custodian of the right of the entire House.”
The 10-hour debate in the Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion started after Congress lawmaker Mohammed Jawed moved a resolution. BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who presided over the House, said 10 hours have been allotted for debate.
The Opposition leaders questioned the legality of Pal chairing the debate as he is from a Birla-selected panel.
