Opposition Prepares No-Confidence Motion Against Government Over Manipur Violence

25-07-2023 : The opposition parties forming the I.N.D.I.A. Alliance are gearing up to move a no-confidence motion against the government in Parliament as a means to compel Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue of Manipur violence. The floor leaders of these parties are set to convene a meeting on Wednesday morning, led by the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, at 10 am.

As per sources, the Congress has already issued a whip to all its MPs, directing them to be present in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In addition, the Congress Parliamentary Party will hold a meeting at 10.30 am in their office. The I.N.D.I.A. alliance has also prepared a draft of the notice and is in the process of obtaining the necessary 50 signatures from MPs. The notice must be submitted before 10 am for the speaker to read it out in the House on Wednesday.

Although the chances of the no-confidence motion succeeding in terms of numbers are slim, the opposition aims to win the battle of perceptions by cornering the government over the ethnic violence that has claimed more than 160 lives in Manipur over the past three months.

The Monsoon session of Parliament has faced disruptions from the outset, with the opposition parties demanding a statement from the Prime Minister on the Manipur violence before any discussion can take place. The Opposition insists on a debate under Rule 267, a statement from the PM, followed by the suspension of regular proceedings to discuss the Manipur issue. On the other hand, the Centre is willing to have a discussion under Rule 176, which would be a brief interaction not exceeding two-and-a-half hours.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reached out to opposition leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, seeking their cooperation in discussing the Manipur violence issue in Parliament. Shah assured that the government is prepared for a discussion for as long as needed and has nothing to hide.

The roots of the Manipur violence date back to May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The situation has since escalated, leading to the loss of numerous lives and unrest in the region.