कथन

In the entire history of the Lok Sabha, only a handful of Speakers have been re-elected to serve two consecutive terms. Shri Om Birla stands among this small and distinguished group. Such continuity is not accidental; it reflects the confidence that the Members across the House have placed his leadership and fairness. Under his stewardship, the Lok Sabha has consistently achieved remarkable levels of productivity. The 17th Lok Sabha recorded around 97 per cent of productivity and several Sessions have crossed 100 per cent productivity, meaning that the House worked even beyond its scheduled hours to complete the people’s business. This is not a small achievement in a House as large and diverse as ours. Sir, what is even more commendable is that the hon. Speaker has made a conscious effort to encourage first-time Members of Parliament. Many young MPs and first-time MPs, including me, have been given opportunities to speak, to participate in debates and to raise concerns of their constituencies. For Members from parties, like ours, the Jana Sena Party who come here with the aspiration of the people we represent, this place is invaluable. We come here to raise the voice of our regions, our youths, and our communities, but unfortunately, what do we often witness is continuous disruptions, sloganeerings, walkouts and ruckus over one issue after another. When the House is repeatedly stalled, it is not the Government that loses; it is the people of India whose voices remain unheard. Sir, the office of the Speaker is one of the most respected institutions in our Parliamentary democracy. Disagreement is a part of democracy, but 10.03.2026 1411 attempting to undermine the dignity of the Chair for political messaging is not. Sir, Shri Om Birla ji has conducted the proceedings of this House with patience, restraint, and respect for all sides. In the face of repeated disruptions, he has continued to appeal for dialogue, debate and dignity in our proceedings. Therefore, I strongly urge this House to reject this Motion and reaffirm its faith in the office of the Speaker under the leadership of Shri Om Birla ji. Thank you. Jai Hind. SUSHRI S. JOTHIMANI (KARUR): Thank you, Chairman, Sir. Today, I rise to speak on the No Confidence Motion against the hon. Speaker with a heavy heart and deep responsibility to defend the principles of this House and democracy, and the principles that are under direct attack today. Parliament is the heartbeat of our nation. In this space, people’s voices are heard, differing opinions meet, clash and guide the course of our country. At the core of any democracy lies freedom of speech, dissent and discussion. These are not the privileges given by the ruling party or by the Chair. These are all Fundamental Rights of every elected representative and, through us, of every citizen of this country. The hon. Leader of the Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi ji has walked the length and breadth of this country and earned the respect and trust of the people to be their voice in this House, and also has the constitutional responsibility. It is deeply disheartening that this House, time and again, has witnessed that he has been denied his right to speak, because you are uncomfortable with the truth he speaks. You are unable to answer him. Everyone of you is afraid of him. That is 10.03.2026 1412 why, you stand up in the Parliament and abuse him because you are afraid of him. Also, the whole Opposition is not allowed to raise our voice, our consensus, and issues of vital importance. This creates a serious concern about the impartiality of this Chair. When elected representatives try to speak on behalf of millions of people, they are silenced. This is not merely a procedural lapse. It is the fundamental ...  of the democratic spirit. The Opposition in Parliament is not an obstacle to the Government. In a true democracy, the Government governs, but the Opposition scrutinises, holds power accountable. Without the Opposition, the Parliament will be an echo chamber. It is not merely that the Members are silenced, but it is about the millions of people we are representing. The credibility of democracy is measured not by how comfortably the Government speaks, but by how freely the Opposition is allowed to constrain. But today, what we have witnessed are troubling double standards, two entirely different set of rules – one for the ruling party and another for the Opposition are there. In recent times, the suspension of Opposition Members has become increasingly common response for the dissent in the House. Instead of allowing the Members to express their concerns or register their protest, suspensions are used to silence all of us. Between 2004 to 2009, and 2009 to 2024, suspension rates has increased 2,000 times. This has never been heard in any democracy in the world. Sir, I also have been suspended twice. I remember, once it was for  Expunged as ordered by the Chair. 10.03.2026 1413 the protest against domestic gas price rise. Even two days before, the price of gas has increased by Rs. 60. But if I protest, I will be suspended. I do not remember the next time when I was suspended, as you do not need any valid reason to suspend us in this House. Even today, my colleagues remain outside this House, under suspension for raising their voice in protest. Sir, ...  This selective application of rules clearly shows why this Motion has been brought before this House. It is deeply troubling that the hon. Speaker, the custodian and guardian of this House, the protector of every Member of this House has chosen to level such a grave allegation against us, the women Members of Parliament, to suggest that the elected representatives, who have come here with the mandate and trust of the people, intended to harm the Prime Minister. It is not only unprecedented but also baseless and profoundly unjust. Most of us in this House come from a humble background. Many of us are first generation politicians. We build our political capital with decades of hard work among people. Facing resistance and discrimination to question our integrity in this manner is a grievous attack on every woman who earns a right place in public life. The hon. Speaker knows many of us personally well. He knows from the deepest part of his heart that we all are the women of ideological commitment, integrity, dignity, courage, and conviction. Also, we are hailing from the political party, Indian National Congress, that has always upheld the dignity and constitutional values. And we do know him personally and we have the utmost  Expunged as ordered by the Chair. 10.03.2026 1414 respect for his Office and his goodself, which is why it pains us even more to see that he chose to allow the Ruling Party to influence and pressurize him to make such a grave allegation against us. Such statements do not merely hurt the individuals, do not insult the individuals; they strike at the heart of this very House, betray the trust that the people place in their representatives, and undermine the very idea of Parliamentary democracy. Sir, let me speak plainly here. Our protest on that day was peaceful, civilized, and dignified. Even in the videos, that were released by the hon. Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Shri Kiren Rijiju ji, my brother from the North East, it could be seen that we were merely standing in that place, holding banner, and peacefully protesting. What is wrong in it? I do not understand. Another video was released from the Speaker’s Chamber. What happened there? We were vehemently arguing to uphold the dignity of the House against the obscene and vulgar remarks made against our respected former Prime Ministers by the BJP MP, Nishikant Dubey. These are the expressions of dissent. Dissent is not against the decorum but is against the erosion of democratic space; against partisanship, and against the system that is a means to safeguard all voices, but which, currently, silences many. Sir, unfortunately, the Chair and the Government, without moving a Motion to protest ... demean us for peacefully protesting. Is that a crime? Is that a threat? What exactly is a threat here? Is asking for accountability a threat or is selling this country in the name of Indo-US Trade Deal a threat? Is demanding  Expunged as ordered by the Chair. 10.03.2026 1415 an institutional autonomy, independence, and neutrality a threat? Or, is compromising every institution, means to safeguard our democracy including the Parliament, the Election Commission, and Investigating Agencies, a real threat? In the broad daylight, with multiple cameras recording every moment of the proceedings, and live proceedings being watched across the country, we witnessed something deeply disturbing in this House. ...  Is this not affecting the sanctity of the Parliament? Is this not affecting the sense of this House? We also see a situation where a foreign power dictates terms to a sovereign nation like India regarding trade and foreign policy. A proud and independent country like ours cannot allow a foreign power to decide our economic policy and energy policy by external pressure. Is that not harmful to the dignity of the nation? Sir, serious allegations were made ...  in the Epstein files. Yet, they continue to hold office without any accountability and they are sitting in the same House. Is that not affecting the sanctity of this Parliament? When the enemy tanks are moving, crossing over our border, and when serious challenges are arising from China, the Prime Minister of the country must show leadership and take responsibility. But the Prime Minister refuses to show leadership and take responsibility. ... Is that not harmful? Is that not affecting the morale of this country?  Expunged as ordered by the Chair. 10.03.2026 1416  Sir, we have been forced to fight for the rights of Tamil Nadu. We wish to raise our voice for restoring our rights. Funds meant for education in Tamil Nadu are denied by you. You also deny release of funds meant for infrastructure. You refuse to accept our rich history and ancient glory related to Keezhadi and Tamils. In such a situation, if we want to raise those issues in Parliament, you refuse to allow us to speak here. How can we view this? If we speak without your permission, you suspend us.* If all these are not considered shameful, then, how can the peaceful protest by women Members of Parliament, standing with banners to express their democratic protest, be portrayed as a threat? Sir, these are all the issues that I wanted to raise.

वक्ता Tangella Uday Srinivas

कब कहा 2026-03-10T00:00:00.000Z

किस वाद-विवाद में Ruling regarding Notices of Adjournment Motion