No Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha: INDIA demands Speaker suspends all business to discuss motion today

The opposition alliance under the banner of INDIA demanded the Lok Sabha Speaker to discuss the "No Confidence Motion" on Thursday and suspend all other business. 

Noting that this demand is not from Congress alone but entire opposition alliance,  Manish Tewari, a senior Congress party leader, said on Wednesday, although the rule 198-A of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha suggest that the Speaker has the discretion to allow discussion on the ‘No Confidence Motion’ within 10 days, but the tradition is that once it is accepted by the Speaker, all other business is suspended and discussion is initiated immediately.

Tewari suggested adhering to tradition by suspending all other parliamentary business for a motion discussion today. He added that if 100 or more MPs support the motion, conducting any other business in the parliament would be inappropriate.

Not about numbers, but morality: Congress

On the argument the no trust motion is bound to fail as the opposition do not have the numbers, the Congress spokesperson retorted, “It is not a matter of numbers, but of morality.”

"There has been violence going on in Manipur for the last 83-84 days. The law and order has completely collapsed and there is absolute ethnic divide in the state," he said.

He noted that the situation is grim and it can only be answered by those at the apex level in the government.

Justifying their move, Tewari pointed out, the opposition has been demanding discussion under rule 184 and 267 in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively which the government has refused.

He said, "When the Prime Minister has admitted outside the parliament that Manipur incidents were shameful and every countryman was feeling ashamed of it, why can’t he speak in parliament?"

He further said that the Prime Minister, being the head of the council of ministers and the first among equals, should answer the ‘No Confidence Motion’.

He pointed out, traditionally whenever such a motion has been brought in the Lok Sabha, it is the Prime Minister who has replied on it.

(With agency inputs)