When it comes to us, the most common word used by Speaker is ‘No’, says Opposition

The Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (March 11, 2026) claimed that whenever they attempted to raise issues, the most common refrain of Speaker Om Birla was “No, no, no”.

Participating in the debate on the resolution seeking Mr. Birla’s removal, several members alleged that the Opposition was not receiving the protection expected from the Chair and that interruptions from the Treasury bench members had become routine.

Rashtriya Janata Dal member Abhay Kumar Sinha said the Speaker’s office had strayed from the neutrality envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. “This House saw a black day when over 140 MPs were suspended in a single day. Real democracy is when even the weakest feel their voice can be heard. Here, whenever an Opposition MP rises to speak, the response is ‘No, No, No,’” he said.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha member Vijay Kumar Hansdak said it was the Speaker’s second term and the most spoken word in the House after [Jawaharlal] Nehru was “No”.

“When Opposition MPs speak, they are disrupted, and that has become a tradition. Another tradition is that while MPs speak, the camera moves in another direction,” he said.

NCP (SP) member Bajrang Manohar Sonwane said the motion was meant to highlight concerns over democratic functioning. “Nobody is making a personal attack… but when he [Mr. Birla] looks this [Opposition] side, it is ‘no, no, no’,” Mr. Sonwane said.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen member Asaduddin Owaisi accused the executive of trying to “overpower” the legislative wings. “Tomorrow, I will move a resolution to appoint a Deputy Speaker,” Mr. Owaisi said.