Opposition bloc ‘INDIA’ to bring no-confidence motion against Modi govt in Lok Sabha today

No-confidence motion: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said the Opposition parties will be bringing no-confidence motion in the Lower House against the government today. The Opposition seeks to win the battle of perception through a proposed no-confidence motion

The alliance of 26 opposition parties INDIA is parepared to submit a notice for a no-confidence motion against the government in Lok Sabha to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak in Parliament on the Manipur violence.

Notice needs 50 signatures of MPs

The alliance has already drawn up a draft of the notice and is in the process of getting the necessary 50 signatures of MPs. The group has to submit the notice before 10 am for it to be read out by the speaker in the House on Wednesday.

The Congress has also issued a whip in Lok Sabha for its members to be present in its parliamentary office by 10. 30 am “to discuss some important issues.” The decision for the motion was taken in a meeting attended by INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) MPs in Parliament on Tuesday morning.

At the meeting of the opposition leaders, it was decided after weighing various options that this would be an effective way to compel the government to initiate a discussion on the issue, one of the alliance leaders said.

The opposition strategy to corner the government on Manipur will continue in the Rajya Sabha as well, the leader said.

“We discussed that if we move a notice of no-confidence motion with 50 MP signatures, the PM will have to speak. If he still doesn’t speak, it will send a clear message that he is running away. It is a matter of perception. We are working on it now and we will make sure we submit it before 10 am tomorrow,” said a senior leader of the alliance.

Battle on Manipur issue

He also said that the two largest parties of the opposition alliance INDIA — the Congress and the TMC– have been in talks over using the no-confidence motion route to compel the Prime Minister to speak on Manipur in Parliament.

“The overall parliamentary strategy is in place for the INDIA parties. Tactics to execute that strategy evolve every day. Rule 198 of the Lok Sabha states the procedure of moving a no-confidence motion. ‘Picture abhi baki hai’ (the story is still unfolding)!” said Derek O’Brien, Trinamool’s leader in Rajya Sabha.

No-confidence motion is bound to fail

The proposed no-confidence motion is bound to fail the numbers test. However, the opposition parties argued that they will win the battle of perception by cornering the government on the Manipur issue during the debate.

They contend that it is also a strategy to make the prime minister speak in Parliament on the Manipur issue, as the government has been insisting that only the Union home minister will reply to a debate on the Manipur situation.

The fate of the no-confidence motion is pre-determined as the numbers are clearly stacked in favour of the BJP and the opposition grouping has less than 150 members in the Lower House.

It is, however, up to the Speaker when to take up that notice in the House. Opposition leaders said the INDIA alliance will use the no-confidence motion as a tool to make the government accountable on the floor of Parliament and bring the focus on Manipur, which the government has so far sought to avoid in Parliament.

(With PTI inputs)

Also read- ‘Rising above party lines…’: Amit Shah writes letter to Oppn leaders of both Houses on Manipur issue

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