Parliament Monsoon Session 2023 Highlights: The debate on the Opposition’s no-confidence motion concluded for the day as the Lok Sabha was adjourned a little after 6 PM. The debate, which began at 12 noon today, saw a heated war of words as the Opposition tried to corner the Centre on Manipur and a host of other issues. This is the second no-confidence motion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing since 2014.
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The Congress, which had listed Rahul Gandhi as their opening speaker for the debate, withdrew his name at the last minute, leading to remarks by the Treasury benches. Tuesday was Rahul’s second day in Parliament after his membership was restored following a Supreme Court order staying his conviction in a case of criminal defamation in the ‘Modi surname case. Congress sources have now indicated that Rahul will only speak on the no-trust vote when the PM is present in the House.
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The no-confidence motion has served as a launchpad for the Opposition’s INDIA bloc which united in one voice to condemn the Centre’s handling of the Manipur issue and demand that the Prime Minister sack Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for allowing the law and order situation in the state to collapse in the state. While leaders like Gaurav Gogoi, Saugata Roy, Supriya Sule and Manish Tewari were among those who spoke in favour of the no-confidence motion, Kiren Rijiju, Pinaki Mishra, Nishikant Dubey were among those who opposed it.
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Parliament Monsoon Session Day 14 HIGHLIGHT: The no-confidence motion was taken up for discussion in the Lok Sabha today. The House saw a heated exchange between the BJP and INDIA bloc MPs. Here are the highlights from Day 1 of the discussion on the no-trust vote in Parliament.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the no-confidence motion against the Centre is "historic" because it will be the last one which will be defeated before sessions move to the new Parliament building.
"Working for people and understanding their issues is how we can reach them. PM Modi won the trust of the people living in eight northeastern states that way," said Union Minister Kiren Rijiju during the debate on the no-confidence motion.
While opposing the motion passed by the INDIA bloc, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "No-confidence motion will fail."
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said, "The Manipur incident is very sensitive. The government has been very insensitive in this matter. This is an arrogant government. It was a complete violation of human rights. Using women as instruments for perpetrating violence is unacceptable in constitutional democracy...It was state-sponsored ethnic violence..."
Biju Janata Dal leader Pinaki Misra, addressing the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, said, "The need of the hour is to speak in one voice, and not in a fractious mode," expressing his stand against the no-confidence motion moved by the INDIA bloc against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his reply on Manipur violence issue.
"What has happened in Manipur today is heart-rending. What this Parliament can't afford is a no-confidence motion against the Central government, because every political party must give their constructive suggestions, rather than blaming the Central government for a legacy issue that's been running back for several decades," Misra added.
No-confidence motion discussion | BJD MP Pinaki Misra said, "I cannot support a no-confidence motion against a central government today, even though we are against the BJP as a political party...I am grateful for the many things that the central government has done for Odisha, which is why, in any case, I am unable to persuade myself on behalf of my party and leader to support a no-confidence motion today which has been brought by the Congress party."
The Rajya Sabha passed the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, on Tuesday.
BJP MP Pinaki Misra while demanding that the Women's reservation bill be passed, said, "If there is anything in which I feel that this government lacks the confidence of this House, it is that they've not brought the Women's reservation bill despite being fully empowered to do so. We only have one more Parliament session, which is the winter session. I plead and urge the prime minister that he should bring in the bill and have it passed unanimously. It can be done in 15 minutes."
"Manipur CM has to be blamed but give constructive solutions instead of bringing a no-confidence motion and laying blame. We need to speak in one voice and not fractions," BJD MP Pinaki Misra said in Lok Sabha today.
“How many FIRs have been acted upon? Over 60,000 people and 14,000 children have been displaced. We have just requested honourable Prime Minister to come and speak in the Parliament. It was the prior responsibility of the Chief Minister to protect the people. If the government wanted, this violence could've been controlled within two days,” SP leader Dimple Yadav duirng no-confidence motion debate.
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde recited ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ during no-trust motion debate in Lok Sabha.
Shirkant Eknath Shinde from the Shiv Sena countered the Oppoisition's charge that the PM was silent on the Manipur issue and asked who remained "mum" when there were terror attacks in Jaipur, Mumbai and Pune.
"The nation has already posed faith in Modi twice and rejected you every time since 2014," he said taking a swipe at UPA.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, speaking for the Opposition bloc, alleged, that PM Modi is against parliamentary democracy, drawing a sharp reaction from the Chair. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not believe in parliamentary democracy," the Dum Dum MP said.
BJP MP Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, who was at the Chair at the time Roy was making his speech, took immediate exception to the statement and reminded Roy that he cannot level personal allegations against the Prime Minister.
NCP MP from Baramati, Supriya Sule said that 'hubris' is the first word that comes to her mind when she thinks for the Modi government. "Before they came to power, they used to say they are a 'party with a difference'. How are you a party with a difference?" Sule said, addressing the Lok Sabha during the debate in Lok Sabha.
She added, "9 saal mein 9 sarkarein girwayi hain aapne (In 9 years, you have toppled 9 state governments)... you talk of doubling incomes, whose incomes have been doubled?" Sule went on to say, "This government is anti-farmer, which is why we have no confidence in this government."
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey responded to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi during a no-trust motion debate in Lok Sabha. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi was supposed to speak in place of Gogoi.
Responding to the change in the Congress speakers’ list, Dubey said, “Maybe Rahul Gandhi wasn’t ready today or maybe he woke late. Gaurav Gogoi spoke well. I am a victim of the turbulent times of Manipur. My uncle suffered there and was injured.”
The Opposition bloc - I.N.D.I.A. (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) - parties to move a ‘privilege notice’ against Union minister and Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal for using “unparliamentary word”.
The privilege motion is moved by a member of the House when he/she feels that a minister or any member has committed a breach of privilege of the House.
Speaking for the ruling party, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, "These people talk about IIT, IIM... they have made this INDIA (Opposition bloc)... pick any random MP from their ranks and ask them what is its full form, very few will be able to tell."
Speaking for the ruling party, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, "This isn't a no-trust vote, this is a 'trust in Opposition' vote. They want to see who all are supporting the Opposition, and who's not."
"Supreme Court has formed a committee for Manipur, this shows it has not accepted work done by Centre, state government," Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said in Lok Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday, amid a ruckus from the Opposition.
We expected that Rahul Gandhi and other Congress MPs will speak. “I’ve heard you out patiently, you should hear me too. After this Rahul Gandhi won’t be able to speak. A lot was said about Manipur. I stand to oppose this motion,” Nishikant Dubey said.
During the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "We want to know what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed in Bali (during last year's G20 summit)".
Initiating the no-confidence motion debate in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent because he will have to admit that his "double-engine" government has failed in the state.
During the no-confidence motion debate in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "When the country was suffering during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was asking for votes in West Bengal (ahead of the Assembly election)."
He added that PM Modi has been silent throughout the suffering of women in the ongoing violence in Manipur.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "We wanted to listen to Rahul Gandhi... what happened in the last 5 minutes?" after it was announced that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi would start the discussion on the no-confidence motion.
Parliament has been marred by disruptions since the start of the Monsoon Session on July 20, with the Opposition moving a no-confidence motion and demanding a statement by PM Modi in the House on the Manipur crisis.