NEW DELHI: The ruling NDA on Tuesday strongly defended Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during a debate on a resolution seeking his removal, while opposition parties accused him of acting under government pressure and failing to conduct House proceedings impartially.The debate began after opposition members moved a resolution to remove Birla as Speaker, alleging bias and claiming he made “baseless” allegations about certain women MPs and did not allow Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to speak on critical issues.

Birla did not attend the proceedings, although the Constitution permits the Speaker to be present and defend himself during such debates. The discussion is expected to conclude on Wednesday, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah will respond to the resolution.

Opposition accuses Speaker of bias

Initiating the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the opposition had brought the motion to protect parliamentary democracy.The resolution, he said, was necessary to “save the Constitution” and the “dignity of the House”.“There was an expectation that the chair would be neutral. But research of uncorrected versions would show the number of times the Leader of Opposition (LoP) was interrupted. While the LoP was on his feet, another member was called upon (to speak),” Gogoi said.Citing remarks by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Gogoi said the Speaker symbolises the freedom and dignity of the House.“Where is the freedom of speech now?” he asked.Gogoi added that opposition members share cordial relations with Birla personally but felt compelled to move the resolution.“But it is our responsibility to protect the dignity of the House and save the Constitution. It is to protect the faith of the people in democracy,” he said.Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also questioned the Speaker’s conduct.“Please introspect why we had to bring the no-confidence motion. The House can’t function on anyone’s whims. We respect his authority. But he should not conduct himself under pressure and compromise independence,” Sawant said.Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra described it as “divine karma” that she was supporting a motion to remove Birla as Speaker, alleging she had been “wrongly” expelled from the Lok Sabha in 2023.She said the Speaker had set “less than graceful benchmarks” while presiding over the House.DMK leader T R Baalu called Birla a “gentleman” but criticised what he described as “harsh” action against opposition members and urged him to take corrective steps.

NDA says Speaker acted impartially

Members of the treasury benches rejected the allegations and defended Birla’s conduct, arguing that disciplinary action against opposition MPs was taken due to improper behaviour.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of targeting constitutional institutions since losing power in 2014.He said the resolution was an attempt to undermine the authority of the Speaker.Rijiju said Birla had remained impartial and provided the opposition with ample opportunity to speak in the House.He also quoted former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi to stress that decisions of the Speaker are final and must be respected by all members.The minister claimed that several opposition MPs had privately expressed discomfort with the resolution.According to Rijiju, 50 opposition members told him personally they were unhappy with the move but were supporting it due to political pressure.During his intervention, Rijiju also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s conduct in Parliament, saying he often skipped proceedings or left the House after delivering his speech.He added that Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could be a better Leader of Opposition.Responding to Rijiju’s remarks, Priyanka Gandhi said she found it ironic that members of the ruling side were quoting Nehru.“He mentioned that I was laughing. I wanted to clear that I was laughing because the person they keep criticising day and night, that Nehru ji, they used a quote of Nehru ji for their own argument.”“They have suddenly started respecting Nehruji and that he strengthened democracy and gave such a speech,” she said.

NDA allies back Birla

NDA allies also supported the Speaker and criticised the opposition’s move.TDP MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu praised Birla’s handling of the Lok Sabha since 2019 and said parliamentary productivity had increased under his leadership.He said the resolution was brought “not to succeed but to create spectacular headlines”.JD(U) leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh described the motion as an attempt to pressure the Speaker.Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde attacked Rahul Gandhi and said the Leader of Opposition would face interruptions if he promoted what he called an “anti-India” agenda in Parliament.The debate on the resolution is expected to continue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Army columns were deployed in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district after two people were killed when security forces opened fire to disperse violent mobs amid tensions linked to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) election nomination process, officials said on Tuesday.The incident occurred in the Chibinang area where clashes broke out between tribal and non-tribal groups, West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Abraham T Sangma said.“The two persons who died were residents of Chibinang. There was a clash between tribals and non-tribals regarding the GHADC elections, and the firing occurred while we were dispersing an unlawful assembly,” Sangma said, according to news agency PTI.Authorities said the district administration has imposed a curfew across West Garo Hills for the entire day to prevent further escalation of violence.

Army conducts flag march to restore order

Army units were called in after the situation turned tense in parts of the district.“Army columns deployed in West Garo Hills on the request of civil administration and conducting a flag march,” defence spokesperson Lt Col Mahender Rawat told PTI.He did not disclose how many columns had been deployed. A typical Army column generally consists of around 60–80 personnel.Police said additional security forces have also been requested to maintain law and order. “We have sought additional forces, and they are on the way,” Sangma said.Officials said the situation in the district is currently under control.

Tension linked to GHADC election nominations

The unrest comes amid the nomination process for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections, with filing of nomination papers scheduled to continue until March 16. The elections are slated to be held on April 10.The violence was triggered after former Phulbari legislator Estamur Momin was allegedly assaulted by protesters when he arrived at the deputy commissioner’s office in Tura on Monday to file his nomination for the GHADC polls, reported PTI.Protesters had demanded that non-tribal candidates refrain from contesting or participating in the council elections.Earlier, on February 17, the executive committee of the GHADC passed a resolution requiring candidates to produce valid Scheduled Tribe certificates while filing their nominations.

Internet services suspended, peace meeting planned

Hours before the clashes, the Meghalaya government ordered a 48-hour suspension of mobile internet services in West Garo Hills from March 10 to prevent the spread of misinformation and mobilisation through social media.Authorities said voice calls and SMS services remain unaffected.A peace committee meeting convened by Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal is scheduled to be held at the Circuit House in Tura with church leaders, representatives of non-government organisations and local development committees to help defuse tensions.Security has also been strengthened at nomination centres across the district as authorities attempt to prevent further unrest during the ongoing election process.

Here are the top 5 updates of the day:

How much has US-Iran war hit India’s oil, LPG, LNG supply?

India meets 90 per cent of its oil requirements through imports, which also constitutes 60 per cent of LPG/LNG production. The escalating West Asia tensions and closure of the Strait of Hormuz might affect this import, but officials vow no petrol/diesel hikes as India has boosted its Russian oil imports. India has also refused the IEA’s call on strategic reserve and has prioritised domestic production.Read the full story

Middle East heat reaches Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif announces crisis measures

Amid the Middle East crisis and Iran war fallout pushing crude prices higher, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has announced emergency austerity measures. Fuel use for official vehicles will be cut by 50%, with 60% of government cars grounded. Cabinet members and lawmakers will forgo 25% of their salaries for two months, while non-essential spending and foreign travel are banned until June 2026. The government will shift to a four-day workweek with 50% work-from-home.Read the full story

‘Don’t get eliminated yourself’: Iran warns Trump, slaps down ’empty’ threats

In escalating Israel-Iran war, Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani slapped down President Trump’s threats to strike “20 times harder” and destroy Iran if it blocks Strait of Hormuz oil flows, posting on X.“Iran unafraid of empty threats—even greater powers failed to eliminate us. Take care not to be eliminated yourself!” he said.Trump had warned of “death, fire, fury” amid disruptions to 20% global oil, as US-Israel strikes pound Tehran while Iran eyes retaliation.Read the full story

CJI blasts petitioners for doubting integrity of judicial officers

Amid a TMC–ECI trust deficit over West Bengal’s electoral roll revision, the Supreme Court bench led by CJI Surya Kant rebuked pleas questioning cases before deputed judicial officers from Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, saying it would “not tolerate” doubts on the judiciary. The court asked the Calcutta HC Chief Justice to form an appellate bench for claims appeals, with the ECI bearing costs. Over 10 lakh claims are decided, 63 lakh pending.Read the full story

Arshdeep Singh penalised by ICC following India’s T20 World Cup triumph

India pacer Arshdeep Singh was fined 15% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching ICC Code of Conduct Article 2.9 during the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Fielding off his follow-through in the 11th over, he aggressively threw the ball, which struck batter Daryl Mitchell on the pads. The ICC deemed the act inappropriate and potentially dangerous, marking Arshdeep’s first demerit point in 24 months.Read the full story

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sternly cautioned against any attempt to question the integrity of judicial officers overseeing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. It declared that such actions would not be tolerated and that trust in the judiciary must be maintained.The warning came from a Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing a batch of petitions concerning the ongoing revision exercise.

“Your application is premature, and it shows as if you don’t have trust. How did you dare such applications are filed? No one should dare question the judicial officers. As a Chief Justice of India, I will not tolerate this,” CJI Kant told the applicants.The Court took strong exception to certain applications that flagged the pendency of claims before judicial officers assigned to scrutinise voter inclusion and deletion requests. Reiterating to maintain faith in the judiciary, CJI Kant said the top court would not allow any undermining of officers carrying out judicial functions under its directions.To address potential grievances, the Supreme Court directed that Calcutta high court chief justice Sujoy Paul may constitute a special bench. It would comprise sitting or former judges to hear appeals against decisions made during the SIR process.“We leave it to the chief justice (of high court) to decide how many judges shall be there in the appellate bench,” said CJI Kant.The Bench further instructed that the Election Commission will bear all costs associated with the appellate mechanism and the judicial officers engaged in the exercise.“High court chief justice is requested to fix the honorarium payable to former justices or present judges, and all costs shall be borne by the election commission of India. Similarly, honourarium shall be fixed for the service of former judicial officers, especially when 200 such officers are from neighbouring states,” the order read.Judicial officers from West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand have been deputed to conduct the SIR following the Supreme Court’s earlier observation of a “trust deficit” between the ECI and the West Bengal government.On 20 February, the Court had directed the deployment of serving and retired district judges to ensure the revision’s smooth execution.During Tuesday’s hearing, Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy informed the Bench that around seven lakh claims had been decided, 63 lakh remained under adjudication, and approximately 57 lakh were still pending.In response, CJI Kant expressed confidence in the officers’ work. “We knew you people would run away when judicial officers are appointed. The high court chief justice has told us 10 lakh claims have been decided,” he remarked.Emphasising the seriousness of the judicial officers’ findings, CJI Kant added, “If a judicial officer prima facie finds that you are not entitled to vote, then you will not vote.”The Court directed the ECI to issue a notification announcing the constitution of the appellate body to handle voter roll disputes.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday criticised leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his remarks backing a protest by Youth Congress workers during the AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi last month.A political row had erupted after Youth Congress workers held a “shirtless” protest against PM Modi during the AI Impact Summit.

The row intensified after Rahul Gandhi on Monday backed the Youth Congress protest at the OBC Congress Women’s National Wing Convention, according to ANI.In a post on X, Amit Malviya shared a video of Rahul Gandhi in which he is saying, “Yaha pe abji jo summit hua tha. Kar diya kaam Youth Congress walo ne.”“Rahul Gandhi proudly declared, ‘Kar diya kaam Youth Congress walo ne’, after Youth Congress workers staged a naked protest to disrupt the prestigious AI Summit in Delhi, embarrassing India on a global platform,” Malviya said.“When the world’s leading technology experts, policymakers, and innovators were discussing the future of Artificial Intelligence, the Congress party thought the best way to represent India was through disruption and indecency. The irony is that even Jawaharlal Nehru, whom the Congress treats as its ideological fountainhead, once took a very different view about national character and loyalty,” he added.BJP MP Sambit Patra also criticised Rahul, calling him the architect of the Youth Congress’ “shirtless” protest.Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Patra said, “When the AI Summit was held at the Bharat Mandapam, where representatives from several nations came, Indian innovators held seminars. There was a wave saying, India is a shining star in the world of AI. However, Youth Congress leaders held a demonstration, and the BJP called it a topless, brainless and shameless protest. This was not a coincidence, but an experiment. Even then, we said that Rahul Gandhi was the architect behind it.”“Yesterday, Rahul Gandhi himself accepted it and laughed like a traitor. The country could read the Mir Jafar smile on Rahul Gandhi’s face when he proclaimed that we finished the AI summit. It was proved yesterday that Rahul Gandhi was the architect, the designer and the one in the driving seat of demeaning and defaming India. This came out of Soros’ garage and reached Rahul Gandhi’s residence,” he added.Meanwhile, the Patiala House Court reserved its order on the bail pleas of three Indian Youth Congress workers — Divyansh Girdhar, Bhudev Sharma and Kuber Meena — who are currently in judicial custody in connection with the AI Summit protest case.