"Not About Numbers, But For Manipur's Fight For Justice": Gaurav Gogoi On No-Trust Move On Govt

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said that the filing of the no-confidence motion against the government in the Lok Sabha was for “about Manipur’s fight for justice”.

He said that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A) is aware of its numbers in the Lok Sabha.

Earlier today, Gogoi had filed a no-confidence motion against the government on behalf of the alliance, knowing full well that the ruling dispensation is more than comfortably placed in the lower house with regard to numbers.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepted it.

"Honourable members, I have to inform the House that I have received a motion of no confidence in the Council of Ministers from Gaurav Gogoi,” Birla said.

The Speaker admitted the motion after ascertaining support to it and said the time of debate will be communicated later.  

After filing the no-confidence motion, Gogoi said, “INDIA alliance is aware of its numbers in the Lok Sabha but this is not just about numbers. This is about Manipur's fight for justice. A message should go out to the brothers and sisters of Manipur that PM Modi might have forgotten Manipur but INDIA alliance stands with them in this hour of grief and we are fighting for their rights, inside the Parliament."

He said that we want to tell PM Modi to come to the Parliament and address the nation as this matter is not about Manipur alone anymore but it has spread over to other states as well.

"In the interest of national security and integrity of the country, the PM Modi should address the country from inside the Parliament..." Gogoi added. 

Meanwhile, six bills, including four related to Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as the government pushed its legislative agenda on the fifth day of the Monsoon session. 

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023,  Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ introduced in Lok Sabha, Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 were introduced in the House.

Two other Bills - The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 - were also introduced. 

The House was later adjourned till 2 pm.

Since the commencement of the monsoon session of the Parliament on July 20, the two Houses saw repeated adjournments, mostly due to the Manipur issue which the Centre is refusing to have discussions on.

Gogoi represents Kaliabor constituency in Assam and is an MP from the northeast region.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which has nine members in Lok Sabha, also gave no-confidence motion notice against the government.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the government is "ready" for every situation. 

"Let the No Confidence Motion come, Government is ready for every situation. We do want a discussion on Manipur...Before the commencement of the session, they wanted a discussion. When we agreed, they brought up the issue of Rules. When we reached an agreement on Rules, they brought in the new issue that the PM come and initiate discussion. I think these are all excuses..." Meghwal said. 

Opposition MPs said that they know the numbers are in favour of the government in Lok Sabha but no-confidence motion is a way to seek reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on various issues including the violence in Manipur. 

"This No Confidence Motion is a political move with a political purpose - a political move which will bring results...The No Confidence Motion will compel him (Prime Minister) to come to the Parliament. We need a discussion on the issues of the country, especially on Manipur, inside the Parliament. Forget the numbers, they know the numbers and we know the numbers..," CPI MP Binoy Viswam said.

Manickam Tagore, Congress Whip in Lok Sabha said INDIA alliance is together and it had proposed the idea of no-confidence motion.

“Yesterday it was decided. Today, Congress party's leader is moving it. We wanted to break the arrogance of Mr Modi. He is behaving as an arrogant person - not to come to the Parliament and make a statement on Manipur...We feel that it is our duty to use this last weapon," he said.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha said that some parliamentary procedures are used to have a long-duration discussion and to compel the government to give a reply.

"Many a time in India's Parliamentary history, critical instruments of debate, dialogue and discussion within Parliament are exercised. Regardless of the outcome of those instruments and motions, they are exercised with the sole objective of a long-duration discussion on an important issue subsequent to which the PM of India is compelled to come to Parliament and respond to the issues raised by the people and the Members of the Lok Sabha,” he said.

“I think these parliamentary instruments actually strengthen India's democracy and must be exercised time again and again to pressurise the government to come before the Lok Sabha and answer the questions,” he added. 

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