Congressman Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday filed a notice for a no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha amid the impasse in Parliament over the Manipur situation. The opposition I.N.D.I.A alliance parties met on Tuesday and decided to bring a no-confidence motion. Gogoi, an MP from the northeast, represents Assam’s Kaliabor constituency. No-confidence motions are a way for opposition MPs to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi for clarification on a variety of issues, including the violence in Manipur, even though they are aware that the majority of votes in the Lok Sabha are in the government’s favor.
Manickam Tagore, Congress Whip in Lok Sabha said INDIA alliance is together and it had proposed the idea of no-confidence motion. “Yesterday it was decided. Today, Congress party’s leader is moving it. We wanted to break the arrogance of Mr Modi. He is behaving as an arrogant person – not to come to the Parliament and make a statement on Manipur…We feel that it is our duty to use this last weapon,” he said.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said that some parliamentary procedures are used to have a long-duration discussion and to compel the government to give a reply.
“Many a time in India’s Parliamentary history, critical instruments of debate, dialogue and discussion within Parliament are exercised. Regardless of the outcome of those instruments and motions, they are exercised with the sole objective of a long-duration discussion on an important issue subsequent to which the PM of India is compelled to come to Parliament and respond to the issues raised by the people and the Members of the Lok Sabha,” he said.
“I think these parliamentary instruments actually strengthen India’s democracy and must be exercised time again and again to pressurise the government to come before the Lok Sabha and answer the questions,” he added.
Opposition parties have been protesting in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha over their demand for a detailed discussion on the Manipur violence and statement from the Prime Minister on the issue. They have been giving adjournment motion notices.
Since the start of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20, the two Houses have been adjourned numerous times. The government has moved forward with some legislative tasks despite opposition chanting. According to sources in the Congress, Gaurav Gogoi represents a district in the northeast, and his announcement of a motion of no confidence symbolizes the attack the opposition is mounting on Manipur, the state that has experienced ethnic violence.
