No confidence motion defeated in Lok Sabha
The Indian Express
After a raging 12-hour debate, the Narendra Modi-led government won the no-confidence motion by 325 votes against 126 votes in the Lok Sabha yesterday, reports The Indian Express. The daylong session in the Upper House saw the government and the opposition trade charges and a moment of drama when Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, after a blistering speech, walked over to hug the prime minister.
Terming the no-trust vote against his government a result of the oppositions arrogance, Modi had earlier called on all parties to dismiss the move and accused the Congress of working with the mindset of Modi hatao (remove Modi). Responding to the debate on the motion, he said some people are indulging in negative politics. He also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi for asking him to stand up for a hug after walking across to his chair in the Lok Sabha, saying the Congress President appeared to be in a hurry to occupy his seat.
Only the electorate of the country can decide his fate and make him sit on his chair, Modi said, asking what is the hurry. Gandhi was present in the House when the Prime Minister made the statement.
Todays no-confidence motion, the 27th in Parliamentary history, is the first to be admitted in 15 years. The last was in 2003 when the Congress party moved a no-confidence motion against prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The key issues about the no-confidence motion debate in Lok Sabha were:
1 The no-trust vote was moved by Telugu Desam Party Srinivas Kesineni, demanding a debate on a special package for Andhra Pradesh. The motion was accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament
2 Expressing confidence in the Opposition, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi told reporters Who says we dont have the numbers?. Taking a jibe against her Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar Thursday said Sonia jis maths is weak. They had calculated similarly in 1996. We know what
happened then. Their calculation is wrong yet again. The Modi govt holds a majority both inside and outside Parliament.
3. Ahead of the debate in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged his parliamentarian colleagues would ensure a constructive and smooth debate. Today is an important day in our Parliamentary democracy. I am sure my fellow MP colleagues will rise to the occasion and ensure a constructive, comprehensive and disruption-free debate. We owe this to the people the makers of our Constitution. India will be watching us closely. he wrote on Twitter.
4. While Rahul Gandhi will lead the charge for Congress
party in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will respond from the saffron partys side. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to be an intervener during the debate.
5. In a setback to the Opposition, Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal, party leaders walked out of Lok Sabha right before the debate began, adding that the discussion was fruitless for the people of Odisha.BJDs 19 MPs in Lok Sabha make it the fifth largest party in the Lower House. The partys walkout lowers the number of votes, required by the government to defeat the motion. BJPs ally, Shiv Sena, meanwhile will abstain from participating in the debate. The party, which held a party meeting this morning in the Parliament complex, did not attend todays session. Sena has 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
6. Opening the debate, TDP MP Jayadev Galla said, The saga of Andhra Pradesh during this Modi-Shah regime is a saga of empty promises. Hitting out at the prime minister for ignoring Andhra Pradesh, Galla said, You (PM) are singing a different tune which people of Andhra Pradesh are keenly observing and they would give you a befitting reply in the upcoming polls.
7. BJP leader Rakesh Singh emphaised on the policies started by the Modi government, adding that the party has given a clean government to India. During its rule, the Congress party gave this country multiple scams. However, we gave policies to this country. All these scams have tarnished the image of our country across the globe. This is because the Congress treated people as votebank. Manmohan Singh said minorities have the first right on countrys resources. However, PM Modi gave new direction by saying that first right on countrys resources is of the poor.
8. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi launched a fiery attack on the Modi government and what he termed as their jumlas. He attacked the NDA government on a number of issues including jobs, womens safety, GST, demonetisation, Rafale deal and farmers issues. Adding that he has no hatred for the ruling party and the prime minister, Gandhi ended his speech with a hug for PM Modi.
9. Taking a swipe against Congress, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that while the Centre will take steps to end mob lynching, the most numbers of mob-lynching incidents have happened in 1984.
10. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, hit back at the BJP over the claims made on the electrification of villages. The BJP leaders said that most of the villages did not have an access to electricity, but was there no electricity production in 70 years, Kharge asked the ruling dispensation.
PM Modi had promised farmers that they would be given MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission during 2014 elections. However, it turned out to be a hollow promise, Congress leader said.
11. Ram Vilas Paswan blamed Congress for problems concerning Andhra Pradesh. Defending the present government, Union Minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan claimed that the problems of Andhra Pradesh are not new and the Congress has to be blamed for the situation. He also highlighted pro-poor initiatives of the government such as free housing, free toilets, total sanitation projects.
12. Through a tweet, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi remarked Congress president Rahul Gandhis speech on No-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha as full of Confusion, Contradiction and Comedy..
