Opposition opens door for normalcy in Parliament with no-confidence motion

Spread love

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, July 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre will now face a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha after Speaker Om Birla accepted the motion brought by the Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) also served a no-confidence motion against the Modi government.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA enjoys a clear majority in the lower House of Parliament, and there appears no threat to the Modi government at the Centre. On the face of the development, it appears to be a desperate move by the Opposition to force Modi to speak on the Manipur violence.

While the Congress is on an offensive against the Modi government egged on by its recent victories in the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, the BRS too threw the hat in the ring to press ahead with the no-confidence to shake off the allegations that the party is now in cahoots with the BJP.

The government had been unrelenting on the demand of the Opposition from Modi to make a statement on the issue of Manipur before the two Houses take up discussion on the issue of Manipur violence. Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah had shot off letters to leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge and his Lok Sabha counterpart Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in his bid to enlist the support of the Congress for a discussion on Manipur.

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla told reporters on Wednesday that after the no-confidence motion has been accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker all other businesses of the House should be put behind to take the matter urgently. Incidentally, the Opposition had brought a no-confidence motion against Modi-led NDA government in 2018 also.

Union Minister for Parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi asserted that the people will serve decisive lesson on the line of the 2019 Lok Sabha election once more to the Opposition. It may also be noted that Modi had set a tone for counter-offensive against the Opposition in his address to the meeting of the parliamentary party of the BJP yesterday after which the legislative bills were being taken up for considerations and passages in both the Houses of Parliament despite the prevailing din.

With the no-confidence motion now at the top of the business of the Lok Sabha, the Opposition demand that Modi first make a statement on Manipur and discussion thereon follows may not be fulfilled. The prime minister responds to the no-confidence debate just before the vote is taken up by the House.

While the Opposition is seeking to set the narrative with the no-confidence motion, political observers are not enthused as they claim that the sheer dominance of the NDA in the Lok Sabha will ensure that its MPs speak most of the times to further pump up the achievements of the Modi government.