Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday reacted to reports that Opposition parties are planning to bring a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, asserting that his party has maintained restraint but will not hesitate to act if its concerns remain unaddressed.
“We have always shown restraint. We believe in the ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Swami Vivekananda, and we have immense respect for the Chair and the institutions created by these great leaders,” Banerjee said. He added that the party’s approach has been “constructive and calibrated,” emphasising that it prefers to give the Speaker an opportunity before escalating the matter.
However, the TMC leader made it clear that patience has its limits. “If our issues are not addressed within three days, we can always move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker. There is no ambiguity or doubt about that,” he stated.
His remarks come amid continued disruptions in the Lok Sabha, with Opposition parties led by the Congress expected to submit a no-confidence motion against Birla. The Congress has accused the Speaker of acting in a partisan manner and allegedly denying Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi the chance to speak during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
The Speaker had recently suspended eight Opposition MPs for unruly behaviour, seven of whom belonged to the Congress, further intensifying tensions in the House.
Banerjee also targeted the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), saying TMC would pursue an impeachment motion. “We have already spoken to like-minded parties, and the process is underway. If the CEC is working in a biased and partisan manner, then moving an impeachment becomes the last resort,” he said, alleging that questions raised by the party leadership during a recent meeting with the poll body went unanswered.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited a 1954 parliamentary debate on a resolution to remove Speaker G.V. Mavalankar, recalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s suggestion that the Opposition be given more time in such discussions, a remark seen as underscoring the importance of parliamentary fairness.
The developments signal a potential escalation in the ongoing standoff between the government and the Opposition as Parliament continues to witness frequent confrontations.
