New Delhi, March 11 -- The debate over the no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla sparked heated exchanges between the Opposition and BJP-led NDA lawmakers on Tuesday, with Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju defending the Speaker's record by presenting data aimed at demonstrating Birla's impartiality. Congress's Gaurav Gogoi, however, maintained that the motion aims to "save the Constitution" and the "dignity of the House". The 10-hour debate in the Lower House started on Tuesday afternoon after a resolution was moved by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagdambika Pal, who was in the Chair, said 10 hours have been allotted for debate, and asked MPs to stick to the resolution. Besides Jawed, the resolution was also moved by MPs K Suresh and Mallu Ravi. The debate began on a rocky note with Opposition leaders questioning the legitimacy of Pal, appointed by the Speaker, chairing the proceedings. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "Sir, you (BJP MP Jagdambika Pal) are sitting in the Chair. You have been appointed by the Speaker. I am of the opinion that you cannot sit over there and take up this proceedings. The House stand should be taken. Rule 10 cannot overtake Articles 95 and 96 of the Constitution. This government has made a constitutional mess." Rijiju argued that "Pal is among the panel of deputy chairpersons who assist Birla to run the House." Initiating the debate, Gogoi said the Opposition was compelled to bring a resolution against the Speaker to "save the Constitution" and the "dignity of the House". "This motion is not to target the Speaker or the Chair, but to preserve the dignity of the Parliament." Gogoi further alleged that the Speaker had interrupted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's speech when he was speaking on important issues such as the controversy regarding former army chief General MM Naravane's unpublished book, the India-US trade deal and the Jeffrey Epstein files. "In February when the Leader of the Opposition spoke on the motion of thanks to the President's address, he was stopped at least 20 times. The speaker, the Chair, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, the Defence Minister, the Home Minister and others interrupted the proceedings...," Gogoi said. He added: "It is with a heavy heart that we are compelled to bring this resolution. The speaker Om Birla's personal relationship is good with everyone. But we are compelled to bring this resolution here to save democracy and the dignity of the Parliament. We are doing this to save the House and the belief of the people in democracy. The Parliament is temple where everyone can enter... Constitution morality demands impartiality. Speaker is custodian of the right of the entire House." Congress lawmaker Manish Tewari, said, "The resolution is not against any individual." Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, too, launched an attack on Birla, saying: "The hon'ble speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha has achieved many firsts. Unfortunately, all of them have been less than graceful benchmarks." Union minister and LJP(RV) chief Chirag Paswan said, "The Speaker tries to give opportunities to MPs from all parties."...