Parliamentary Functioning Crisis: Speaker's Removal Motion and Erosion of Legislative Decorum

The Hindu - Opinion · 15 Mar 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Polity and constitution High relevance

Lok Sabha rejected a resolution under Article 94(C) to remove Speaker Om Birla, highlighting deepening government-Opposition rift and declining parliamentary standards that undermine constitutional accountability mechanisms.

Key points

Article 94(C) of the Constitution was invoked for the first time in recent history to attempt removal of Lok Sabha Speaker, testing constitutional provisions for legislative accountability.

The motion followed Speaker Birla's controversial claim of having 'confidential knowledge' about Congress women MPs potentially acting against PM Modi, raising questions about impartiality of the Chair.

Opposition MPs face systematic curtailment of parliamentary rights - microphones switched off, denied opportunities to raise substantive issues like China standoff (2020) and Gautam Adani investigations.

Government counters with statistics: Opposition allocated 56% of Zero Hour time and 364 supplementary questions vs NDA's 321 during Birla's tenure, revealing competing narratives on parliamentary fairness.

[GS2-Governance] Declining legislative standards reflect a broader crisis in India's parliamentary democracy, where single-party dominance has eroded checks-and-balances essential for executive accountability.

[GS4-Ethics] The Speaker's role as neutral arbiter is compromised by perceived partisanship, violating constitutional conventions established since the first Lok Sabha (1952).

Historical parallel: 2024 saw similar Opposition move against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, indicating institutionalization of legislative-executive conflicts.

Way Forward: Parliament should establish an all-party committee to codify Speaker's impartiality norms, mandate proportional time allocation through rules amendment, and introduce penalties for deliberate disruption of parliamentary proceedings.

Key terms

Article 94(C)

Constitutional provision allowing removal of Lok Sabha Speaker through a resolution passed by majority of House members. Significant for UPSC as it tests separation of powers between legislature and executive, and safeguards Speaker's independence - a key feature of Westminster parliamentary systems adopted in India.

Zero Hour

Unlisted discussion period in Parliament where MPs raise urgent public matters without prior notice. Relevant for GS2 as it represents backbench legislative oversight, though its effectiveness is declining due to procedural manipulations and time constraints in contemporary practice.

Motion of Thanks

Constitutional obligation under Article 87 where Parliament debates the President's address to joint sitting. Important for UPSC as it serves as first major parliamentary test for new governments and sets annual legislative agenda, though increasingly reduced to partisan showdowns.

Supplementary Questions

Follow-up queries during Question Hour that probe ministerial answers deeper. Institutionally significant for GS2 as they represent backbenchers' most potent accountability tool, with historical data showing declining quality and frequency under successive Speakers.