Parliament budget session LIVE: Lok Sabha adjourned after chaos as Opposition demands discussion on West Asia

PArliament budget session unrecorded updates: extraneous Affairs government minister S Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha on mon that all efforts ar being made to help Indians stranded across West Asia due to the conflict between United States and Iran. He said that India remains in favour of peace, return to dialogue & diplomacy; advocate de-escalation, restraint, and ensuring safety of civilians.The second half of the session started on Monday and will run until April 2 and is reportedly expected to focus on crucial legislative business, including the passage of the Finance Bill, 2026 and discussions on Demands for Grants for various ministries.Lok Sabha fails to take up no-confidence motion against Om BirlaThe Lok Sabha failed to take up the Opposition-backed resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla amid Opposition's demand to discuss the West Asia conflict in the Parliament. The Opposition was accused by the government and the Chair of holding the House proceedings "hostage" to its demands.Several opposition leaders had submitted the notice alleging that Birla acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner while conducting proceedings in the House.Around 118 opposition MPs reportedly signed the motion, accusing the Speaker of favouring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and allegedly preventing Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from speaking during earlier proceedings.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already expressed support for Birla, stating that the Speaker has remained committed to the Constitution and parliamentary democracy while treating all members fairly.No deputy speaker in Lok Sabha currentlyThe procedural handling of the motion may pose a challenge because the Lok Sabha currently does not have a deputy speaker. Under normal parliamentary rules, the deputy speaker would preside over proceedings during a motion against the speaker.In the absence of a deputy speaker, Birla may appoint a member from the panel of chairpersons to preside over the debate, with senior BJP MP Jagdambika Pal being among the likely choices, HT earlier reported.Historically, only three Lok Sabha speakers, namely G V Mavlankar in 1954, Hukam Singh in 1966 and Balram Jakhar in 1987, have faced no-confidence motions, all of which were eventually defeated.Jaishankar's brief on West Asia crisisExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement regarding the “situation in West Asia”.The statement comes amid escalating tensions following joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28 that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Tehran launched counter-strikes targeting American military bases in several West Asian countries and Israeli assets across the region.Opposition leaders have demanded a full-fledged debate on the issue. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticised the government’s decision to only allow a statement, saying the opposition should also be allowed to ask questions about India’s diplomatic stance, as per ANI.According to PTI, the opposition is also criticising the government’s approach toward Iran and the United States, including the US granting “permission” to India to continue purchasing Russian oil.Other political flashpointsSeveral additional political controversies are expected to surface during the session. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal, which allegedly resulted in the deletion of nearly 60 lakh names, could become a major flashpoint in the Parliament.Trinamool Congress MPs are likely to raise the issue in the House. Meanwhile, the BJP may counter by highlighting what it described as a “protocol breach” involving President Droupadi Murmu during her recent visit to West Bengal.Price rise may also be raised by the opposition after the price of domestic LPG cylinders was increased by ₹60 earlier this month.