On No-Confidence Motion, BJP MP’s ‘More You Shrink, Lower…’ Jibe
Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani said the no-confidence motion brought by Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance – the opposition grouping — is a waste of Parliament’s time and a ‘ridiculous strategy’ to appear relevant. “As oftem happens with bad losers, the more you shrink, the lower you sink,” the BJP MP tweeted.
INDIA on Wednesday moved a no-confidence motion against the government but since the numbers are in favour of the NDA, the opposition aims to compel PM Modi to make a statement in Parliament on Manipur. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla admitted the no-confidence motion and will schedule it for discussion, while the opposition parties want the discussion to be held today.
“Since 2014 there is no Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha as no opposition party since 2014 has secured the required 10% seats in that House. In spite of having abjectly lost the confidence of the electorate in the polls twice,far from being humble they resort to ridiculous stratagems only to appear relevant,” Jethmalani wrote.
Congress on behalf of INDIA and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (not part of INDIA) filed two separate no-confidence motions against the government.
No-confidence mnotion against the PM Modi government: Here’s what happened so far and what’s next
1. All floor leaders of the opposition parties (INDIA) will meet Mallikarjun Kharge today. The Congress has issued a three-line whip for its MPS urging them to be present in the Rajya Sabha today.
2. All MPs of belonging to the INDIA bloc parties will wear black clothes in Parliament as a mark of protest over Manipur.
3. Congress MP Manish Tewari said according to the rules when a no-confidence motion is accepted by the Speaker, all other business is suspended and discussion is initiated immediately.
4. Manish Tewari said the no-confidence motion is not a matter of numbers but of morality. “When there will be division on the motion in the Lok Sabha, morality will be tested and it will be incumbent upon every MP to take a “personal position”,” the Congress MP said.
5. Once 100 or more MPs in Parliament rise in support of the motion, carrying out any other business will be inappropriate, the Congress MP said demanding a discussion on the no-confidence motion on Thursday.
6. Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien said under Rule 267, INDIA is asking for an immediate discussion on Manipur issue. The last emergency discussion was held on demonetisation in 2016 and after that no emergency discussion notice was accepted.
7. Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday met AAP MP Sanjay Singh who has been sitting in protest after his suspension from the Rajya Sabha for the entire session for ‘repeatedly violating’ the directions of the chair.
8. The no-confidence motion accepted by the Speaker on Thursday will be the 28th in Lok Sabha’s history. All previous no-confidence motions either remained inconclusive or were defeated.
9. In 2018, Telugu Desam Party’s Srinivas Kesineni brought a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government. There was an 11-hour debate on that following which the motion failed.
10. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, this no-confidence motion is the first major action collectively taken by the bloc of 26 parties.