Current Affairs Topics Archive
International Relations Economics Polity & Governance Environment & Ecology Science & Technology Internal Security Geography Social Issues Art & Culture Modern History

'He handles unruly MPs from big families well': PM Modi lauds Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

March 07, 2026 5 min read Polity & Governance GS2
On This Page ▼

What Happened

  • Opposition parties submitted a formal notice to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, signed by over 120 MPs across the opposition INDIA bloc.
  • The immediate trigger was Speaker Birla's ruling disallowing Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi from quoting excerpts from former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane's unpublished memoir "Four Stars of Destiny" in the House.
  • The Speaker invoked parliamentary rules (Rule 349) stating that unpublished documents and unverified newspaper clippings cannot be cited in the Lok Sabha.
  • Opposition parties accused the Speaker of partisan conduct and of shielding the government from embarrassing disclosures about the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and China border management.
  • Prime Minister Modi publicly defended Speaker Birla, praising his impartial handling of House proceedings and his effectiveness in managing disruptive MPs.
  • The removal resolution is scheduled to be debated in the current Budget Session; three previous Lok Sabha Speakers faced similar resolutions, none of which succeeded.

Static Topic Bridges

Article 94: Removal of the Lok Sabha Speaker

Article 94 of the Constitution specifies the conditions under which the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha vacate office. The Speaker can be removed by a resolution passed by an effective majority of all the then members of the House — a higher threshold than an ordinary simple majority.

  • Article 93: The Lok Sabha shall elect two members as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
  • Article 94(c): The Speaker/Deputy Speaker can be removed by a resolution of the Lok Sabha passed by a majority of all the then members — i.e., more than 50% of the total membership (272 out of 543 members required).
  • 14-day prior notice: Before any resolution for removal can be moved, at least 14 days' written notice must be given to the Speaker.
  • Article 95(2): The Speaker shall not preside over a sitting during which a resolution for their removal is being considered.
  • The Deputy Speaker presides over the House during debate on a motion for the Speaker's removal.

Connection to this news: The opposition's removal notice triggered the mandatory 14-day notice period. The resolution will now be debated in the House, but with the NDA commanding a majority, the resolution is unlikely to secure the required 272 votes.

Speaker's Role: Impartiality and Parliamentary Powers

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the lower house of Parliament and one of the most powerful figures in India's parliamentary system. The Constitution and Rules of Procedure vest wide-ranging powers in the Speaker to regulate debate, decide points of order, and maintain order.

  • The Speaker is elected by members of the Lok Sabha at the commencement of a new Lok Sabha; the Speaker continues in office until the dissolution of the House.
  • Key powers: Decides admissibility of questions, motions, and amendments; certifies Money Bills (Article 110); decides whether a Bill is a Money Bill; presides over joint sittings (Article 108).
  • Anti-defection: The Speaker decides cases of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law).
  • Rule 349: Parliamentary rules prohibit reading from or citing documents not laid on the Table of the House unless the Speaker grants permission; specifically applies to unpublished materials.
  • By convention, the Speaker is expected to resign from party membership upon election to ensure impartiality.

Connection to this news: The opposition argues the Speaker's invocation of Rule 349 against Rahul Gandhi's reference to Gen. Naravane's memoir was selectively partisan — applied to shield the government from scrutiny rather than to enforce neutral parliamentary decorum.

Rajya Sabha vs. Lok Sabha — Presiding Officers and Removal

A comparison between the two Houses illuminates the differences in how presiding officers can be removed, a commonly tested UPSC distinction.

  • Lok Sabha Speaker: Elected by members of Lok Sabha; removed under Article 94(c) by effective majority (272/543) with 14-day notice.
  • Rajya Sabha Chairman: The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Article 64). The VP/Chairman can be removed under Article 67(b) by a majority of all Rajya Sabha members, passed after giving 14-day notice.
  • Deputy Speaker (Lok Sabha): Removed by same process as Speaker — Article 94.
  • Deputy Chairman (Rajya Sabha): Removed by majority of all Rajya Sabha members.
  • Speaker cannot preside during removal debate; Chairman of Rajya Sabha similarly cannot preside.

Connection to this news: The removal notice against Speaker Om Birla invokes the rarely used but constitutionally valid mechanism under Article 94(c). Historical precedent: G.V. Mavlankar (1954), Hukam Singh (1966), and Balram Jakhar (1987) all faced removal resolutions, none of which passed.

General MM Naravane's Memoir and Parliamentary Privilege

The controversy over Rahul Gandhi quoting from an unpublished memoir of a former Army Chief touches on questions of parliamentary privilege, the right of the LoP to speak on national security matters, and the boundaries of what can be cited in the Lok Sabha.

  • "Four Stars of Destiny" by General M.M. Naravane (Chief of Army Staff, 2019–2022) reportedly contains reflections on the Galwan Valley clash (June 2020), relations with China, the Agnipath scheme, and defence policy.
  • The memoir was unpublished at the time Rahul Gandhi read from excerpts in the House — drawn from a magazine that had obtained an advance typescript.
  • Parliamentary Rule 349 prohibits referencing documents not laid on the Table of the House; documents must be authentic and verifiable.
  • Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of the Opposition, holds a constitutional position recognised under the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977.
  • The Galwan clash (June 15–16, 2020) resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers; it is the most serious India-China military confrontation since the 1967 Nathu La clashes.

Connection to this news: The Speaker's ruling — whether legitimate procedure or partisan intervention — became the flashpoint for the removal notice. The opposition's objective is as much political (highlighting defence policy failures) as constitutional.

Key Facts & Data

  • Lok Sabha has 543 members; effective majority for Speaker removal = 272.
  • 14-day prior written notice is mandatory before a Speaker removal resolution can be debated.
  • Three Lok Sabha Speakers have faced removal resolutions historically (Mavlankar 1954, Hukam Singh 1966, Jakhar 1987) — none was removed.
  • Rule 349 of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure prohibits citation of documents not tabled in the House.
  • General M.M. Naravane served as Chief of Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022.
  • The Galwan Valley clash (June 2020) killed 20 Indian soldiers — the first combat fatalities on the India-China border since 1975.
  • Speaker Om Birla represents the Kota-Bundi constituency in Rajasthan; elected Speaker in June 2019 for the 17th Lok Sabha, re-elected for the 18th Lok Sabha in 2024.