NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule and other members of the Lok Sabha during the budget session of Parliament in New Delhi on March 10, 2026. Photo: Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab
Opposition MPs on Tuesday (March 10, 2026) argued for the ouster of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and had a list of grievances, including mass suspension, switching off the microphone when they spoke and failure to appoint the constitutional post of Deputy Speaker for the past 12 years.
Senior Congress MP Manish Tewari argued that the opposition’s insistence on moving a resolution seeking the impeachment of the Speaker could be summed up in one phrase: the government must have its way, but the opposition must have its say.
10 March 2026 Parliament Budget Session Update
“Rahul quoted from a magazine”
Addressing that Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak about the contents of the yet-to-be-released memoir of former Army General (Retd) MM Narawane, Mr. Tewari said Mr. Gandhi had quoted from the magazine. “The magazine he (Mr Gandhi) quoted is a published magazine, it is available in the public domain even now. And the content of the magazine or the story has not been challenged by the government so far,” Mr Tewari said.
He dismissed allegations that opposition women MPs were planning something unseemly in the form of a protest as “completely exaggerated and exaggerated”.
Mr Tewari also referred to the disruption by BJP members and the disruption of the entire session when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power and pointed out that the UPA government had never moved any resolution to suspend any member of the opposition.
Maximum suspension weight
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said it was ironic and “divine karma” that she was opening a debate from her side against the Speaker who denied her a chance to defend herself during her expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha.
Taking part in the debate, Ms Moitra said the current speaker had set “less than graceful benchmarks” while presiding over the House. A total of 245 MPs have been suspended since 2004, all from opposition parties. Almost half of them, 120 MPs, were suspended during Mr. Birla’s tenure.
“In December 2023, Birla ordered the largest mass suspension in the history of the Indian Parliament, suspending 100 opposition MPs. This single episode accounted for more than 40% of all Lok Sabha suspensions since 2004,” Ms Moitra said.
“Gentleman Under Pressure”
Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai questioned the Speaker on microphone control, claiming that the microphones never switch off when members of his party attack former prime ministers of the Congress regime, but are cut off within 30 seconds when opposition members question the government.
DMK president TR Baalu said Mr Birla was a gentleman under pressure. “He is such a gentleman, but I don’t know what has happened to him. He has suspended so many MPs in the last seven years. But why does he have to take such drastic action?” said Mr. Baal.
JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said the no-confidence motion was nothing but an attempt to keep the Speaker under pressure.
“To maintain the decorum and dignity of the House, the Speaker has to control unruly members. That is not a bad thing,” he said.
Published – 10 March 2026 22:16 IST
