No-confidence motion against Om Birla: INDIA bloc ally TMC refuses to sign notice; wants discussion first

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress on Tuesday refused to sign a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying opposition should first approach the Speaker with its grievances, including the suspension of eight Congress MPs. Explaining the reason behind the move TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said his party has “no problem” signing a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, but asserted a dialogue with the chair before any action, giving him an opportunity to clarify his position. Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Banerjee said the Speaker should be given an opportunity to respond before the opposition moves a resolution seeking his removal. While opposition parties submitted a notice earlier in the day accusing Birla of “blatantly partisan” conduct, the TMC chose not to be a signatory to the move, reported PTI.“The All India Trinamool Congress has no problem signing the no-confidence motion against the Speaker. All 28 MPs will sign it,” Banerjee said. “However, before moving the no-confidence motion, we want all the INDIA bloc partners to sign a letter addressed to the Speaker, highlighting the four points on which the argument is based.” Citing the suspension of eight Congress MPs, Banerjee said the opposition could appeal for reconsideration and give the Speaker “two to three days’ time” to respond. “If the Speaker does not act or fails to provide satisfactory responses to the four issues, a no-confidence motion can be introduced after three days,” he said. Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the DMK, submitted the notice to Lok Sabha secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh through Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh and Mohamed Jawed. The resolution alleges that Birla acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner and made “blatantly false” allegations against Congress MPs. The TMC leader said his party wants Parliament to function and questioned repeated adjournments of the House. “We want the House to function properly, but it appears the Union government does not,” Banerjee said, adding that the Speaker also shares responsibility for ensuring smooth proceedings.According to sources, around 120 MPs from parties such as the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have signed the notice.