New Delhi: The Opposition moved a No-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government over the Manipur violence in Lok Sabha today. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi initiated the discussion on the motion and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ‘maun vrat’ (a vow of silence) in Parliament over the Manipur violence.
He said: ” We have three questions for PM Modi. First, why has the PM not visited Manipur to date?, second why did the PM take almost 80 days to speak on Manipur? And third, why has not the PM sacked the CM of Manipur till date?”.
Asserting that the “No-confidence motion has been brought for the justice of Manipur”, Gogoi said, “This is our ‘majboori’ (compulsion) to bring the no-confidence motion. It is not about numbers but for the people of Manipur and for justice for Manipur”.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, while speaking against the motion, pointed out that ethnic clashes in Manipur were nothing new and that ever since the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, around eight thousand militants had surrendered in the northeast and no new militant organisation came up there in these nine years.
The debate ended at around 6 pm. The Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal United, Lok Janshakti Party, Shiv Sena, and YSR Congress Party, were allotted a total of two hours, divided according to the number of MPs from each party in the House., for the discussion on the motion in Lok Sabha.
It was speculated whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was reinstated in Parliament yesterday after getting a reprieve from the Supreme Court, would initiate the discussion on the no-confidence motion today. However, reportedly he is likely to speak on August 10, 2023, on the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi would speak on the issue.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’ Brian was suspended from Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the Monsoon Session following a spat with the Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar over a discussion under Rule 267 on Manipur violence. O’Brian insisted to raise a point of order under Rule 267 and raised his voice after Dhankhar had rejected all the notices for discussion on Manipur violence under Rule 267. This prompted Dhankhar to name Derek O’Brien and ask him to leave the House. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal then moved a motion for the suspension of O’Brien for the remainder of the monsoon session for “continuously disturbing the proceedings of the House and disobeying the Chair.
– global bihari bureau
