The opposition parties in the Lok Sabha have moved a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led central government on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, over the Manipur issue. The motion, which was moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, was admitted by Speaker Om Birla after a head count of over 50 MPs as required under the rules. The motion will be discussed within 10 days as per the procedure.
The no-confidence motion comes amid the ongoing impasse over the Manipur issue, which has rocked the Parliament since the beginning of the monsoon session. The opposition alliance, known as INDIA, has been demanding a discussion on the Manipur situation and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. However, the government has said that it is ready to discuss the issue in the House and that Union home minister Amit Shah will reply to the debate.
The Manipur issue refers to the alleged human rights violations and atrocities committed by the security forces in the northeastern state of Manipur. According to a report by an independent fact-finding team, more than 1,500 people have been killed in fake encounters and extrajudicial killings by the security forces in Manipur since 2000. The report also accused the government of suppressing the voices of dissent and democracy in the state.
The opposition parties have accused the Modi government of being insensitive and indifferent to the plight of the people of Manipur and of violating the constitutional rights and freedoms of the citizens. They have also alleged that the government is trying to divert attention from its failures on various fronts such as economy, health, education, employment, and foreign policy.
The government, on the other hand, has defended its actions in Manipur and claimed that it is taking all necessary steps to restore peace and normalcy in the state. It has also accused the opposition parties of playing politics over a sensitive issue and of disrupting the functioning of Parliament.
The numbers game
The no-confidence motion is bound to fail the numbers test since the Modi government enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. The majority mark in the lower house is at 272. The PM Modi-led NDA has 332 members in the lower house. The BJP alone has 301 members. On other hand, the opposition alliance, including Congress, has about 141 members. The neutral parties like KCR's BRS, YS Jagan Reddy's YSRCP and Naveen Patnaik's BJD have combined strength of 41. The remaining few seats are divided between other unallied parties as well as Independents.
This means that if it comes to the vote, the motion can be easily defeated by the ruling BJP. However, despite knowing the fate of the no-confidence motion, the opposition parties argue that they will win the "battle of perception" by cornering the government on the Manipur issue during the debate. They contend that it is also a strategy to make Prime Minister Modi speak in Parliament on this crucial matter.
Historical perspective
A no-confidence motion is a parliamentary motion that allows members of Lok Sabha to express their lack of confidence in
the ruling government. In India, a no-confidence motion can be moved only in Lok Sabha, with at least 50 MPs supporting it.
Historically too, such motions have seldom led to toppling of governments. To date, 28 no-confidence motions have been moved in independent India's history. Only one of these motions led to fall of a government (Morarji Desai-led administration in 1979). Three were against Lal Bahadur Shastri and 15 were against Indira Gandhi. Indira went on to face three more no-trust motions between 1981 and 1982. Rajiv Gandhi faced two no-confidence motions in 1987 and 1989 respectively. P V Narasimha Rao had two close calls during his tenure in 1991 and 1993. Atal Bihari Vajpayee faced three no-confidence motions in 1996, 1998 and 1999 respectively. The last no-confidence motion was moved by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) against Narendra Modi government in 2018 over special status demand for Andhra Pradesh.
Source:
(1) Congress submits notice on bringing no-confidence motion against Modi govt. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/politics/congress-submits-notice-on-bringing-no-confidence-motion-against-modi-govt-11032341.html.
(2) No-confidence motion in Parliament: What is likely to unfold?. https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/noconfidence-motion-in-parliament-what-is-likely-to-unfold-11690376277631.html.
(3) No-confidence motion against govt admitted in LS; Speaker to decide date. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/no-confidence-motion-against-govt-admitted-in-ls-speaker-to-decide-date-11034721.html.
(4) No-Confidence Motion (Explained) | Opposition Moves No-Confidence Against Modi Govt | Lok Sabha. https://telanganatoday.com/no-confidence-motion-explained-opposition-moves-no-confidence-against-modi-govt-lok-sabha.
(5) With Modi set to face his second no-trust vote, a look at the history .... https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/modi-second-no-trust-vote-history-no-confidence-motions-8861422/.
(6) No-confidence motion against Modi government: The numbers in Lok Sabha .... https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/no-confidence-motion-against-modi-government-the-numbers-in-lok-sabha-oppositions-battle-of-perception/articleshow/102138603.cms.
0 Comments