Deadlock on as Oppn demands ‘urgent’ debate on no-confidence motion in LS
New Delhi: As the Opposition alliance and the ruling party locked their horns over the discussion on Manipur violence in Parliament, both Houses witnessed stormy scenes that led to continuation of deadlock on the sixth day of Monsoon Session on Thursday.
Soon after the House resumed, leaders of Opposition alliance INDIA demanded Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to discuss the “no-confidence motion” at the earliest by suspending all other businesses, which went unheard that led to the ruckus in the House resulting into adjournment of Lok Sabha proceeding till 2pm.
Proceedings continued to be disrupted in both Houses with repeated adjournments on Thursday as the Opposition and the government traded barbs over the Manipur issue and the no-confidence motion.
However, despite the ongoing uproar in both the Houses of Parliament, the Treasury benches managed to get two Bills passed in Lok Sabha and one in Rajya Sabha without any debate. Amid the uproar, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill and Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022 was passed in Lok Sabha and the Cinematography (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed in Rajya Sabha.
Citing the rules, the Congress stated that it is a travesty to pass Bills when the no-confidence motion is still pending as under rules and conventions, no legislative business can be transacted till such a motion is debated.
Notably, a no-confidence motion by the Congress against the Narendra Modi government was admitted in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that has set the stage for a showdown between the Opposition and treasury benches amid concerted efforts by the Opposition alliance to force Prime Minister Modi to speak on the contentious Manipur issue in Parliament.
In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said there is absolute clarity in the stand of the Opposition coalition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Parliament.
“We want the no-confidence motion moved by the parties in the Lok Sabha in the immediate context of Manipur, which has been accepted by the Speaker, to be taken up at the earliest,” Ramesh said, adding, “We want a statement by the PM in the Rajya Sabha on Manipur immediately followed thereafter by a discussion under Rule 267, which means that the issue being raised under this rule takes precedence over all other issues.” Prior to the resumption of the House, the Opposition alliance boycotted a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Rajya Sabha in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on Manipur violence in Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha BAC has 11 members, including the Vice-President as its ex-officio chairman. Three MPs from the 26-member Opposition front INDIA are on the BAC committee — Jairam Ramesh (Congress), Misa Bharti (RJD), and Derek O’Brien (TMC). BRS’s Keshav Rao also gave the meeting a miss.
Proceedings of Lok Sabha witnessed a total of three adjournments in the day over the Manipur issue. After an earlier adjournment, when the Lok Sabha assembled at 2 pm, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement on the government’s foreign engagements amid disruptions.
A spat broke out between Union minister Piyush Goyal and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury over the Opposition disrupting Jaishankar’s statement.
Goyal lashed out at the Opposition members who were dressed in black as a mark of protest and wondered what they were trying to cover up by their attire.
Soon after the House reassembled after an earlier adjournment till 2 pm and the Chair allowed Chowdhury to raise a point of order, Goyal stood up and said that he would not allow the
Congress leader to speak in protest against the disruption of the external affairs minister’s statement.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar gave a detailed summary of foreign engagements of the president, vice-president and the prime minister over the last four months amid loud sloganeering by the Opposition. At some points, the minister was not even audible due to continued sloganeering.
