Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday criticised the Opposition for filing a notice seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and took aim at the Congress party and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) for allegedly creating disruptions in the House with misleading claims.

HM Shah rejected the contention that the LoP was barred from speaking in the House, emphasizing that the Lok Sabha operates according to established rules, which all members are expected to follow. “If a person acts deliberately and disruptively, there is nothing wrong in the Chair rebuking the member,” he said.

The minister also suggested that senior members like Shashi Tharoor should guide Congress leaders on respecting parliamentary customs. “A member continuously complains that he is not allowed to speak or that his microphone is switched off, but they remain unaware of the rules. Even ministers’ microphones are switched off if they speak out of turn,” HM Shah noted.

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He further stressed that anyone violating parliamentary norms must be corrected, and criticised the Congress-led Opposition for claiming moral superiority while their conduct “remains bereft of values and reflects duplicity.” He contrasted this with Speaker Om Birla’s actions during the no-confidence motion, noting that while previous Speakers under Congress governments presided over debates, Birla chose to recuse himself, establishing a new precedent in parliamentary practice.

HM Shah also highlighted procedural errors in the Opposition’s notice, pointing out that the first notice cited incorrect dates and figures, while in the second, only one member’s signature was valid and the remaining 108 were photocopies. It was the Speaker who called members to correct the errors, he said.

The Home Minister added that the Opposition showed little interest in debating the issue, despite moving the no-confidence motion. The Business Advisory Council had scheduled the discussion for March 9, but the Opposition refrained from participating, demonstrating, according to HM Shah, a lack of seriousness regarding their own motion.

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