New Delhi: In a significant move, opposition parties in India are contemplating a no-confidence motion against the current BJP-led government. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of floor leaders from Opposition parties at the chamber of Rajya Sabha LoP (Leader of Opposition) Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament.
The opposition bloc, consisting of 26 parties, has also expressed its intention to persist in demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur. This demand has led to a continuous protest by MPs during the monsoon session of Parliament.
The monsoon session, which began on July 20 and is scheduled to continue until August 11, has been fraught with tension and disruptions, primarily due to the opposition's insistence on getting a comprehensive statement from PM Modi regarding the Manipur crisis. The protests have entered their fourth day, with the opposition MPs refusing to call off their overnight protest. Their main grievances are centred around the lack of response from the Prime Minister on the Manipur situation and the suspension of AAP's Sanjay Singh from Rajya Sabha.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, after the opposition meeting, took to Twitter to urge PM Modi to put aside his ego and address the nation on the Manipur issue. He emphasized that the violence in Manipur had been continuing unabated for 83 days, with horrific stories slowly emerging. The situation not only affects Manipur but has potential repercussions for the entire Northeast region. The Congress chief expressed concern about the impact on sensitive border states and demanded that the Prime Minister take concrete steps to address the situation and restore normalcy in Manipur.
On the other side, the BJP held its parliamentary board meeting to strategize how to tackle the ongoing ruckus over the Manipur issue during the remaining days of the monsoon session. The first two days of the session witnessed similar disruptions, leading to almost no functioning of the Parliament.
Meanwhile, in Rajya Sabha, 51 notices were submitted under Rule 267 to discuss the Manipur issue. However, the Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, called for the matter not to be politicized. He suggested that discussions on similar issues in states like Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan should also be held under the short discussion motion.
The Manipur crisis has been a contentious topic since the first week of May, with the ethnic clashes causing unrest in the region. Prime Minister Modi initially made a brief statement on the matter, lasting only 36 seconds. However, the opposition deems this response inadequate and insists on a detailed address by the Prime Minister in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
As the monsoon session progresses, tensions remain high, and the government faces increasing pressure from the opposition to address the Manipur situation comprehensively. The fate of the no-confidence motion and the further course of action by the opposition parties will be closely watched in the coming days, as the nation awaits a resolution to the ongoing crisis.
