Brought no-confidence motion to break Modi's 'maun vrat': Gaurav Gogoi
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday opened the debate on the no-confidence motion against the central government after Rahul Gandhi's name as lead speaker was withdrawn at the last minute. Gogoi, who opened the debate amid sloganeering, said that the opposition was forced to bring the no-confidence motion against the government to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "maun vrat" (vow of silence) on Manipur.
Centre talks 'one India' but created two Manipurs: Gogoi
Amid the debate in Parliament over the Manipur situation, Gogoi alleged that the Centre talks about "one India" but created two Manipurs. "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, the country is divided," he said.
Gogoi alleges PM Modi kept 'maun vrat' on Manipur
"It was our demand that as the leader of the country, PM Modi should come to the House and speak about Manipur. However, he kept a 'maun vrat' that he will neither speak in the Lok Sabha nor in the Rajya Sabha," Gogoi added.
BJP's dig at Congress for replacing RaGa as lead speaker
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi took a dig at the Congress for replacing Gandhi with Gogoi. He wondered why Gandhi's name as lead speaker was withdrawn. "What happened sir? Why did they change order? We are keen to hear him. What happened in five minutes," he said. The Congress had earlier said Gandhi, freshly reinstated as an MP, would open the debate.
'Has only two jobs': BJP MP's jibe at Sonia
Another BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also targeted the Congress, claiming that PM Modi mentioned earlier in a meeting that this is not a vote to express distrust in the government, but to see who in the opposition can be trusted. Taking a swipe at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Dubey said, "Sonia...now has only two jobs. 'Set' the son and give presents to the son-in-law."
Gogoi submitted no-confidence motion last month amid Manipur impasse
Last month, amid the impasse in Parliament over the Manipur issue, Gogoi submitted a notice for a no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha. The decision to bring the motion was taken at a meeting of the opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on July 25. Gogoi represents the Kaliabor constituency in Assam and is an MP from the northeast.
Who will participate in debate
At least five Union ministers will likely speak during the debate, including Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah and Minister of Earth Sciences, Kiren Rijiju, besides 10 other BJP MPs. The opposition has been demanding PM Modi's statement in Parliament regarding Manipur, where over 180 people have died, hundreds have been injured, and thousands have been displaced since the ethnic violence erupted on May 3.
