No-confidence motion: RaGa to open debate, Centre readies defense line
The three-day debate over the no-confidence motion will begin on Tuesday amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence. Reinstated a day ago, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will reportedly open the debate in the Lok Sabha and is likely to take on the Centre over the Manipur issue. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has put forward Smriti Irani and Jyotiraditya Scindia for a counterattack.
Why does this story matter?
The no-confidence motion poses no threat to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as it commands a majority in the Lok Sabha with over 330 MPs. However, the opposition bloc has said the motion isn't intended to bring the government down but to force PM Modi to appear in Parliament and address the situation in Manipur—which has witnessed ethnic clashes for over three months.
PM Modi to chair BJP parliamentary party meeting before debate
PM Modi will chair a BJP parliamentary party meeting before the debate to devise a strategy to counter the opposition. He is expected to respond to the motion on Thursday. Whereas Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to intervene on Wednesday and provide a ground assessment of Manipur. Nirmala Sitharaman, Kiren Rijiju, and five other BJP MPs will also participate in the debate.
Congress government didn't address Manipur violence in Parliament: BJP
In light of the over 180 deaths and displacement of thousands of people in Manipur, the opposition has been adamant that PM Modi, who hasn't appeared in Parliament in the Monsoon Session so far, address the issue. However, the government contends that when Manipur saw major violence in 1993 and 1997 during the Congress rule, the erstwhile PMs made no statement in Parliament.
325 MPs rejected no-confidence motion against BJP in 2018
To recall, the opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the BJP government in 2018, which was supported by 126 members, while 325 members rejected it. The motion was moved by N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which was in power in Andhra Pradesh, over alleged non-allocation of funds to the state, rising mob violence, and the Rafale deal controversy—currently still under investigation.
