Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday defended Om Birla in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of the Indian Parliament 2026, calling the opposition’s motion seeking the Speaker’s removal “unfortunate” and asserting that the Speaker’s decisions are binding on the House.

Speaking during the debate on the motion, Shah said the authority of the Speaker must be respected as part of parliamentary tradition and democratic functioning.

“The Lok Sabha Speaker’s decision is always the final decision. We may not agree with the Speaker’s ruling, but it is binding and cannot be doubted,” he said while addressing the House.

The motion was moved by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and has been backed by more than 50 members of Parliament, triggering a debate that has drawn sharp responses from both the treasury benches and the opposition. According to parliamentary procedure, a debate on the resolution must take place once it has the required support from MPs.

During the proceedings, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was presiding over the House, allowed the resolution to be moved and announced that 10 hours had been allocated for discussion. He urged members to remain focused on the resolution during the debate.

Pal also remarked that the Speaker had been “generous” in granting permissions to opposition members and following parliamentary procedures. The remark came as opposition MPs continued to accuse Birla of showing partisan behaviour while conducting the proceedings of the House.

A total of 118 opposition MPs have reportedly signed the motion, alleging that the Speaker acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner during several key debates and disruptions in recent sessions.

Opposition leaders argue that the impartiality of the Speaker’s office must be maintained to protect the credibility of Parliament.

Responding to the allegations, Shah said questioning the Speaker’s authority undermines democratic institutions. He described the Lok Sabha as the “biggest panchayat of democracy” and warned that raising doubts about the person presiding over it raises broader questions about the functioning of India’s democratic system.

“I want to say that bringing this resolution against the Lok Sabha Speaker is unfortunate,” Shah said. “When the Speaker was elected, leaders from both sides of the House supported him. Raising questions on the chief of this democratic institution sends a wrong message.”

He also reiterated that the Speaker has the authority to expunge unparliamentary words from parliamentary records, stressing that such provisions are meant to preserve decorum in the House.

The debate comes amid a tense political atmosphere during the second phase of the Budget Session, which resumed earlier this week after a recess.

Tuesday’s proceedings were marked by protests and heated exchanges as opposition members criticised the government’s handling of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

With both sides preparing to present their arguments during the allotted debate time, the motion against Birla is expected to trigger an intense political confrontation in Parliament, reflecting growing friction between the government and the opposition during the ongoing session.