The Opposition has used a parliamentary tool of no-confidence motion to express its lack of confidence in the government but this time they are using it to compel Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement in the House on the Manipur issue that has stalled the Parliament for five consecutive days.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepted the Opposition’s no confidence motion brought to the House by Congress Party MP Gaurav Gogoi against the Government earlier today, saying that he will speak to leaders of all parties and announce when the discussion on the motion will be taken up. Floor leaders of opposition parties will meet the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday in Parliament to discuss important issues.
Meanwhile, all MPs of the I.N.D.I.A alliance will wear ‘black’ coloured clothes in Parliament as a mark of protest against Manipur issue.
Moreover, I.N.D.I.A bloc rallied behind a no-confidence motion against the PM Modi government moved by the Congress in Lok Sabha.
The Congress, as part of the newly formed I.N.D.I.A opposition alliance, along with Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), have filed two separate no-confidence motions against the government.
After Gogoi moved the motion, the Speaker asked about the number of members supporting the motion. He admitted the motion and said the time of the debate will be decided later.
“INDIA alliance is aware of its numbers in the Lok Sabha but this is not just about numbers. This is about Manipur’s fight for justice. A message should go out to the brothers and sisters of Manipur that PM Modi might have forgotten Manipur but I.N.D.I.A alliance stands with them in this hour of grief and we are fighting for their rights, inside the Parliament.”
BSP, which is also not part of the I.N.D.I.A alliance, could abstain from voting.
BSP member Malook Nagar posed a query to the government during Question Hour in Lok Sabha on Wednesday when several other opposition parties were protesting over their demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur violence and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepted the no-confidence motion against the government moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on behalf of opposition parties of I.N.D.I.A alliance.
The House resumed its normal functioning after the Speaker accepted the demand for no-confidence motion. Opposition members expressed their opinion on the bills being introduced by the government.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, senior party leader and MP Manish Tewari clarified that the “No Confidence Motion” was not of the Congress alone, but of the entire I.N.D.I.A.
He said, although the rule 198-A of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha suggest that the Speaker has the discretion to allow discussion on the ‘No Confidence Motion’ within 10 days, but the tradition is that once it is accepted by the Speaker, all other business is suspended and discussion is initiated immediately.
The decision to bring a no-confidence motion was taken at a meeting of opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance parties held on Tuesday.
Justifying the reasons for bringing in ‘No Confidence Motion’, Tewari pointed out, the opposition has been demanding discussion under rule 184 and 267 in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively which the government has refused.
He said, “When the Prime Minister has admitted outside the parliament that Manipur incidents were shameful and every countryman was feeling ashamed of it, why can’t he speak in parliament?”
He further said that the Prime Minister, being the head of the council of ministers and the first among equals, should answer the ‘No Confidence Motion’.
He pointed out, traditionally whenever such a motion has been brought in the Lok Sabha, it is the Prime Minister who has replied on it.
Congress leader further emphasised that the Centre has failed in its responsibility to restore normalcy in Manipur by taking necessary Constitutional measures, so INDIA has brought the No-Confidence Motion to fix accountability of the government in this matter.
Meanwhile, the Congress party issued a three-line whip for its MPs, urging them to be present in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow.
“Very important issues will be taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow, i.e. Thursday, July 27, 2023,” Congress stated.
It further said that, “All members of Congress party in the Rajya Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11:00 A.M. onwards till the adjournment of the House on Thursday, July 27, 2023 without fail and support the Party stand.”
“This may be treated as most important,” it said.
Moreover, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) issued a whip for its Rajya Sabha members, asking them to be present in Parliament on July 27-28.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the government is “ready” for every situation.”Let the No Confidence Motion come, Government is ready for every situation. We do want a discussion on Manipur…Before the commencement of the session, they wanted a discussion. When we agreed, they brought up the issue of Rules. When we reached an agreement on Rules, they brought in the new issue that the PM come and initiate discussion. I think these are all excuses…” Meghwal said.
Six bills, including four related to Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha as the government pushed its legislative agenda following Speaker Om Birla admitting the no-confidence motion against the government moved by Congress and other opposition parties.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ introduced in Lok Sabha, Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were introduced in the House.
Two other bills – The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 – were also introduced.
Since the Monsoon Session began on July 20, the Opposition members have been firm in their demand for a discussion and a statement from PM Modi on Manipur. The Opposition raised a chorus that all scheduled or listed businesses in both Houses be set aside for a discussion on the Manipur situation.