The motion moved by the Opposition to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was rejected by a voice vote in Parliament on Wednesday.

The voting took place amid ruckus in the Lower House following a debate on the motion.

The Congress had moved the motion on Tuesday, accusing Birla of being partisan and contending that his actions “constitute a serious danger to the proper functioning” of the House.

The party had alleged that Birla had prevented Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi from speaking in the House, made “unwarranted allegations” against women MPs and suspended Opposition legislators for an entire session for raising matters of public concern.

Birla “openly espouses the version of the ruling party on all controversial matters”, the Opposition alleged.

The resolution has been signed by 118 Opposition members.

The speaker had recused himself from the proceedings of the House until the motion was considered.

Opposition MPs had on February 10 submitted a notice indicating its intention to move a no-confidence motion against Birla. At that time, they had noted that on February 2, Gandhi was not allowed to complete his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

The notice also said that on the next day, eight Opposition MPs were “arbitrarily suspended” for the remainder of the Budget Session and were “being penalised merely for exercising their democratic rights”.

The MPs had been suspended after they allegedly tore up papers and threw them at the speaker’s chair.

Birla became the speaker in 2019. He retained the post in 2024, when the Opposition forced an election for the speaker’s position for the first time in several decades.