In the midst of the parliamentary standoff over the violence in Manipur, the Congress has filed a no-trust motion against the Narendra Modi-led administration. Since the Monsoon Session began on July 20, the continued ethnic tensions in Manipur have been a major factor in the current gridlock in both Houses of Parliament.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a non-member of the “I.N.D.I.A” alliance, has filed a separate no-confidence motion.
“On behalf of our party, we have filed a motion of no confidence. All of the opposition leaders had demanded discussion of the Manipur issue from the beginning of the session. We made efforts because, if the PM speaks on this, there will be harmony among the nation’s citizens, according to BRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao.
A no-confidence motion can only be carried if it has the support of 50 house members. Although it is anticipated that the Congress resolution will receive the required support, the BRS only possesses 9 seats in the Lok Sabha.
The current strength of the governing NDA in the 543-member Lok Sabha is 331. The Independent National Democratic Institute (I.N.D.I.In the house, an alliance has 144 members.
The opposition parties assert that they would win the perception war by encircling the government on the Manipur issue during the discussion, even though they lack the numbers to win a floor test.
They assert that it is also a tactic to force the prime minister to address the critical issue in Parliament, despite the government’s insistence that Union Home Minister Amit Shah respond to the discussion regarding the Manipur crisis.
Since the start of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20, opposition members have repeatedly called for adjournments of the two Houses through rallies and sloganeering.
The opposition parties are pushing for Manipur discussion under a rule that also includes voting, despite the government’s claims that it is prepared for discussion.