The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated debate on the no-confidence motion, which commenced on Tuesday. The Opposition criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, while the NDA government retaliated by rebuking the Opposition INDIA bloc and Congress for introducing the motion at a “wrong time and in a wrong manner.” Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will likely speak in the Lower House on Wednesday.
The motion of no-confidence, brought forth by Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, occurred amidst the backdrop of the ethnic violence in Manipur. This situation has caused persistent disruptions in both Houses of Parliament.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on Thursday.
Here’s All You Need to Know About No-confidence Motion Debate in Lok Sabha
Congress Slams BJP Govt
Opening the discussion, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, “This motion is our compulsion. It was never about numbers. It is about justice for Manipur. This motion is by the INDIA alliance for seeking justice for Manipur.”
“Manipur demands justice. Martin Luther King Jr had said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If Manipur is burning, whole of India is burning, if Manipur is divided, country is divided. It was our demand that as the leader of the country, Prime Minister Modi should come to the House and speak about Manipur. However, he kept a ‘maun vrat (vow of silence) that he will neither speak in the Lok Sabha nor in the Rajya Sabha,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi expressed his curiosity about the Prime Minister’s absence in Manipur, especially given that both Rahul Gandhi and Home Minister Shah, along with the Minister of State for Home (Nityanand Rai), had visited the region. He also raised the absence of subsequent peace appeals from the Prime Minister concerning Manipur.
The senior leader also asked why Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh has not been replaced so far. He said while chief ministers of BJP-ruled Gujarat and Tripura were changed, no such thing has happened in Manipur.
Congress MP Manish Tewari raised concerns over the spillover of violence in Manipur to nearby states including Mizoram, as the Northeast is strategic in nature and disturbance in any state in that region has a bearing on national security. “Manipur violence will affect other states too and the rest of the country,” he said. “Manipur has been burning for the last three months and the government has hardly done anything to restore peace in the state,” he claimed.
Tewari expressed concerns about the government’s stance and situation in the India-China border, citing an SSP report presented at a DGP-level conference. “Currently, there are 65 patrolling points from Poratoram Pass to Chumar, meant for regular ISF patrolling. However, 26 points lacked ISF presence due to restrictions. China claimed these areas due to prolonged absence of ISFs and civilians, causing a border shift toward India and a buffer zone creation, resulting in a loss of Indian control due to ‘salami slicing’, a PLA tactic to grab land,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi Likely to Speak Tomorrow
The unexpected move by the Congress to refrain from having Rahul Gandhi initiate the discussion on the no-confidence motion was a calculated strategy. As per this plan, he is slated to speak tomorrow after prominent BJP leaders have taken their turn.
Party insiders told IANS that this decision was a deliberate step to shield Gandhi from the initial barrage of attacks he would have encountered had he spoken first.
BJP Responds
Starting the debate from the government’s side BJP MP Nishikant Dubey referred to Supreme Court staying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ remark case and his subsequent return to Lok Sabha as MP. “There was such a brouhaha over Rahul Gandhi’s return to Parliament but where had he gone…he was here in the Budget session. The Supreme Court has not acquitted him. He has also said he will not say sorry……He says I am not (VD) Savarkar, you can never be Savarkar,” Dubey said.
This no-confidence motion is against the son of a poor, Dubey said, adding the no-confidence motion is against the person who gave people houses. “The no-confidence motion is against the person who gave drinking water to the people, the no-confidence motion is against the person who gave toilets to the people, the no-confidence motion is against the person who tried to bring light in everyone’s home,” the BJP leader said.
Launching a dig at Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who were both present in the House, Dubey said she was following the traditional Indian woman’s way of “Bete ko set karna hai, damaad ko bhent karna hai (Has to set her son, and gift to her son-in-law)”.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in his hour long speech said “Congress and opposition parties will regret bringing in the no-confidence motion at the wrong time and in a wrong manner.”
Rijiju slammed the Opposition bloc over “anti-India” activities. “Nothing will come of naming the alliance ‘I.N.D.I.A’ when you are actually working against India,” he said.
BJD Explains ‘Reason’ Behind Support to BJP
BJD MP Pinaki Misra said, “I cannot support a No Confidence Motion against the Central Government today, even though we are against the BJP as a political party… I am grateful for the many things that the Central Government has done for Odisha. That is why, in any case, I am unable to persuade myself on behalf of my party and leader to support a No Confidence Motion today, which has been brought by the Congress party.”
Oppn Tears Into Modi Govt
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav accused the BJP of destroying administrative and financial federalism. “They are destroying institutions, from the EC, ED, CBI, and others. They are using them as tools to harass the people of the country,” she said. Commenting on the Manipur issue, she said, “The incident (Manipur video) has been condemned worldwide and has left us ashamed. It was state-sponsored ethnic violence.”
“If the (state) government had wanted, this violence could have been controlled within two days, but the government’s intention was not right. Even today, it continues to be in a mode of deception,” Yadav charged.
TMC MP Saugata Roy quoted from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar during his speech and said that while he doesn’t have anything personal against PM Modi, “But as Brutus said in Julius Caesar, not that I love Modi less, but that I love India more.” “If anybody loves India, they will oppose Modi,” he added.
Roy said the Modi government is a government of fake promises, disastrous policy decision and destroyer of federalism in the country. “West Bengal is a victim because (Home Minister) Amit Shah went and said ‘agli baar 200 par’ (we will get 200 sets in West Bengal in the polls) but they did not even get 80 seats. In retaliation, they stopped all Central funds for MNREGA which amounts to Rs 7300 crore and PM Awas Yojna which comes to Rs 8400 crore, he said.
Speaking on Manipur situation, Roy called for chief minister N Biren Singh to be immediately dismissed and president’s rule imposed in the state
NCP MP Supriya Sule also echoed the calls for Manipur CM’s resignation and condemned the incident regarding women being paraded naked and raped. “What happened in Manipur is shameful. I demand the chief minister should resign immediately. Can you allow this to happen and shame the women of this country? Ask your conscience how you can support this government. How can you allow this?” she asked.
DMK member TR Baalu said late BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee stood behind ‘rajdharma’, “…but today we cannot stand behind them when women were striped and paraded naked”. “The whole world has condemned happenings in Manipur. The EU parliament has discussed this and the British parliament has condemned Prime Minister Modi and his party very strongly,” he claimed. He said he is supporting the no-confidence motion because “we want to kill evil”. Referring to the Mahabharata, he said, “Krishna advised that you are not killing your friends but evil … the same thing I am doing. There was no other way than to bring a no-confidence motion to get the presence of prime minister in the House,” he said.
CPI(M) member A M Ariff alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the record of attending House proceedings the least number of times. “While Manipur was burning, the prime minister went to France and delivered a speech on world peace,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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