NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha will debate the no-confidence motion between August 8 and 10, nearly two weeks after the Opposition bloc INDIA moved the motion against the Modi government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply to the motion on August 10. Besides the INDIA bloc, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has also moved a no-trust motion against the government on the Manipur issue.
The decision to debate the motion was taken at Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee meeting. This was despite the Opposition parties boycotting the meeting in protest against the debate not being taken up immediately.
The Trinamool Congress and BRS demanded that the House take up the motion immediately. They said that the government is ram-rodding bills after the Lok Sabha Speaker accepted the no-trust motion. On July 26, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepted the no-confidence motion moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi against the Modi-led government. The Opposition has been demanding a comprehensive statement from Prime Minister Modi on Manipur followed by a discussion. Both Houses of Parliament have not been functioning since the Monsoon session began on July 20.
Speaking to the media, Congress whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said the parties walked out of the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of Lok Sabha after the government refused to agree to their demand for an immediate discussion on the no-confidence motion.
“The INDIA alliance parties demanded that the no-confidence motion be taken up tomorrow itself,” he said. Citing the previous instance of a no-confidence motion moved by the Telugu Desam Party in 2018, he pointed out that it was taken up the next day itself.
Citing rules, the Opposition leaders have objected to the passage of the bills by the government in the House. Speaking to this newspaper, RSP MP Premachandran said, “When the leave of the House to the moving of a motion of no-confidence has been granted, no substantive motion on policy matters is to be brought before the House by the government till the motion of no-confidence is not disposed off,” he said, citing Kaul and Shakdher.
Oppn leaders to meet Prez
The leaders of Opposition Alliance INDIA will meet President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday to discuss the Manipur issue. The delegation will also include 21 MPs, who visited Manipur on July 29-30. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had sought time from President Murmu on behalf of the Opposition parties to discuss the Manipur issue, and the President has granted time.