The opposition alliance, represented by INDIA, has made a demand to the Lok Sabha Speaker to discuss the “No Confidence Motion” on Thursday, urging the suspension of all other parliamentary business. This demand, according to Manish Tewari, a senior Congress party leader, is not solely from the Congress but encompasses the entire opposition alliance.
Tewari highlighted that although Rule 198-A of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha allows the Speaker to permit discussion on the ‘No Confidence Motion’ within 10 days, the tradition has been to suspend all other business once the motion is accepted, and the discussion is initiated immediately.
To adhere to this tradition, Tewari advocated for the suspension of all other parliamentary business for the motion discussion on the specified day. He emphasized that if 100 or more Members of Parliament (MPs) support the motion, conducting any other business in the parliament would be inappropriate.
Addressing the argument that the no-trust motion is likely to fail due to a lack of numbers, the Congress spokesperson countered that the matter is not about numbers but morality. He drew attention to the ongoing violence in Manipur for the past several days, with a complete breakdown of law and order and an ethnic divide in the state. According to him, the situation requires answers from those at the apex level in the government.
Justifying their move, Tewari pointed out that the opposition has been demanding discussions under rule 184 in Lok Sabha and rule 267 in Rajya Sabha, both of which have been denied by the government. He questioned why the Prime Minister, who has admitted outside the parliament that the incidents in Manipur were shameful, cannot address the issue in the parliament.
Traditionally, in such instances, it is the Prime Minister who has responded to the No Confidence Motion in the Lok Sabha, and Tewari stressed the importance of the Prime Minister, as the head of the council of ministers and the first among equals, addressing the motion.