Parliament Budget Session resumes today: Om Birla's no confidence motion, West Asia crisis on agenda

The second half of the Budget session will continue until April 2.

• Opposition seeks removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
• Centre to brief Parliament on West Asia conflict's impact
• Flight cancellations in Gulf affect Indian airports amid crisis

Did our AI summary help?

The second half of the Budget session of Parliament, which resumes today, is expected to begin on a stormy note, with the Lok Sabha scheduled to take up an opposition-backed motion seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla.

The escalating conflict in West Asia, involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, is also set to dominate proceedings, with the Centre preparing to brief members on the rapidly evolving situation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to make a statement in Parliament on the intensifying crisis in the region, which began on February 28 and has since widened into a broader confrontation across West Asia.

Motion to remove Lok Sabha Speaker

The day’s proceedings are likely to begin with the discussion of a motion moved by Opposition parties seeking the removal of Om Birla from the Speaker’s post. The motion, signed by 118 MPs, accuses him of conducting the proceedings of the Lok Sabha in a “blatantly partisan” manner.

Following the submission of the notice, Birla recused himself from presiding over the House. He is expected to resume the chair only after the matter is decided.

Despite the sharp political confrontation, the ruling National Democratic Alliance is widely expected to defeat the motion because of its numerical strength in the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly defended the Speaker, saying Birla has upheld the principles of the Constitution and parliamentary democracy while conducting the House.

Centre to brief the House on West Asia crisis

The ongoing conflict in West Asia is expected to be another major flashpoint during the session. S. Jaishankar is scheduled to brief Parliament on the diplomatic and security implications of the conflict for India.

Opposition parties have demanded a full-fledged discussion on the issue, arguing that a brief government statement would be insufficient given the scale of the crisis.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the conflict, involving US and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks across parts of the Gulf, has major implications for India’s economy and diaspora.

According to estimates cited by the Congress, nearly 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf region, and remittances from these countries amount to roughly $50-60 billion annually.

The government has said it is closely monitoring the safety of Indian citizens across the region as the conflict enters its tenth day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a series of diplomatic conversations with regional leaders, including Haitham bin Tarik of Oman, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, and Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, emphasising the safety and welfare of the Indian diaspora.

Opposition parties are also expected to question the government about India’s diplomatic stance on the conflict, rising global oil prices, and the potential disruption to energy supplies. The widening war has also drawn in groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, raising fears of a broader regional escalation.

The war has also begun to affect civilian travel and aviation routes across the Gulf.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, more than 52,000 people have already returned to India from the region amid growing security concerns and disruptions to air travel.

Airspace restrictions and military activity across parts of the Middle East have forced airlines to cancel or reroute several flights in recent days.

Airports in Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain have reported large-scale flight cancellations and delays since the conflict escalated. The disruption has also affected operations at several Indian airports.

At Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, at least 33 flights were cancelled due to airspace restrictions, while flights from Kolkata to Gulf destinations were suspended after overnight strikes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai prompted airlines to prioritise passenger safety.

Domestic political issues likely to surface

Apart from foreign policy concerns, several domestic political issues are also expected to trigger heated exchanges in Parliament.

Opposition parties plan to raise concerns over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, alleging irregularities in the process.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to counter by raising questions about protocol issues during the recent visit of President Droupadi Murmu to the state.

Last week, senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, met in New Delhi to finalise the party’s strategy for the session. The party is expected to raise a range of issues, including energy security, unemployment and the demand for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Key legislative business

Moreover, the Parliament will also take up key legislative business in the coming weeks.

The second half of the Budget session will focus on the scrutiny of Demands for Grants for various ministries for the financial year 2026-27, along with the passage of the Finance Bill 2026, which contains the tax proposals announced in the Union Budget earlier this year.

The second half of the Budget session will continue until April 2.