New Delhi: The first day of debate on the Congress' no-trust motion was heated, with both the Opposition and the Treasury benches voicing their opinions. The Opposition claimed that it was compelled to move the motion in order to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi's'maun vrat' (vow of silence) on Manipur, while the Treasury benches called the vote a no-trust vote against a "poor person's son" who has worked for the welfare of the people.
Several times throughout the debate, opposition leaders brought up BJP veteran Atal Bihari Vajpayee in an attempt to criticise the Prime Minister and remind him of 'rajdharma.
Congress Member Gaurav Gogoi started off the debate in the Lok Sabha by asking a number of pointed questions about Manipur, including why the Prime Minister hadn't visited the state, why it took 80 days for him to break his silence on the state, and why he hadn't fired Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
The Congress member for Assam launched a stinging attack, saying it was deeply troubling that a government that preached "one India" had actually established "two Manipurs," one in the hills and one in the valley.
He also insisted that Modi travel to Manipur, head an all-party team to the northeastern state, and meet with diverse organisations in an earnest effort to restore peace.
It was never about the numbers, he argued; rather, it was a matter of justice for Manipur that compelled the opposition organisation Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to bring the no-confidence motion.
When Manipur burns, all of India catches fire; when Manipur is divided, the nation is torn in two. We insisted that Prime Minister Modi, as the nation's top official, address the House regarding Manipur. The Congress MP from Assam added, "However, he kept a'maun vrat' (vow of silence) that he will not speak in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha."
"We want to break his vow of silence through the no-confidence motion," he stated.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju chimed in on the discussion, saying that the no-confidence vote had been presented by the Congress and other opposition parties at the "wrong time and in the wrong manner." There was no need for such a move against the administration, the minister argued, given that Prime Minister Modi has emerged as a world leader and the country is moving ahead to become a developed nation by 2047.
Instead, the minister urged the opposition to collaborate with the administration to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and reach the prime minister's goal within the next quarter-century.
"Congress and opposition parties will regret bringing in the no-confidence motion at the wrong time and in the wrong manner," the minister said.
After Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Shah, and Minister of State for Home (Nityanand Rai) all visited Manipur, Gogoi stated he wanted to know why the Prime Minister hadn't made the trip.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi questioned why Rahul Gandhi's name as lead speaker was pulled at the last minute, sparking intense arguments between the opposition and treasury benches as the lower house took up the motion moved by Gogoi.
Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, among other top ministers, are expected to weigh in on the debate on Wednesday, according to legislative sources.
When asked about the problems in the region's northeast, Rijiju credited the Modi government, noting that rail connections are now being installed in various sections of the region. He then elaborated on the Prime Minister's stated goal of making the Northeast an economic hub.
He claimed that even though he had represented Assam in the Rajya Sabha while Manmohan Singh was prime minister, the former prime minister rarely met MPs from the northeastern states.
Rijiju blamed the past Congress governments' apathy for Manipur's current predicament.
He claimed, "When our administration was formed, in the first cabinet meeting, Modi ji made a group and told that every 15 days, five cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state must go the Northeast. All of the sitting ministers have visited the northeast, so it is still going on. Nishikant Dubey, a member of the ruling BJP and the first speaker of the discussion, said that the Prime Minister had said that the resolution was not intended to be a vote of no confidence in the government but rather a confidence vote among the opposition's coalition partners.
Taking aim at the opposing parties, Dubey claimed that they were busy fighting amongst themselves while still calling themselves INDIA.
Dubey brought up the matter of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership being reinstated after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in the 'Modi surname' remark case.
Despite all the hubbub surrounding Rahul Gandhi's return to Parliament, he was really there for the Budget session. He has not been exonerated by the Supreme Court. Moreover, he has declared that he would not apologise.To paraphrase what Dubey said: "He says I am not (VD) Savarkar, you can never be Savarkar."
Dubey, taking a jab at Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who were both present in the House, claimed that she was following the traditional Indian woman's manner of "Bete ko set karna hai, damaad ko bhent karna hai (Has to set her son, and gift to her son-in-law)".
Another jab from Dubey was directed at Rahul Gandhi, who, he claimed, "probably he was not prepared and he got up late" and hence did not start the argument when it was his turn.
To further his argument that the INDIA bloc's non-Congress parties were once persecuted by the Congress but are now supporting it against the NDA, Dubey identified specific parties.
The BJP lawmaker said that the Prime Minister's use of the term "parivaarvaad" referred not to a prohibition on following in one's parents' professional footsteps but to a dynastic approach.
The BJP leader said, "This no-confidence motion is against the son of the poor, the no-confidence motion is against the person who gave people houses, the no-confidence motion is against the person who gave drinking water to the people, the no-confidence motion is against the person who gave toilets to the people, and the no-confidence motion is against the person who tried to bring light in everyone's home."
Like Draupadi's cheerharan, their arguments will seek to expose the policies of the Modi government in all their naked glory."When they do cheerharan of Modi, a person who works for the welfare of the people and they (opposition benches) are'maun,' none of them would survive in 2024, none of them would come back," Dubey said, referring to the time when Draupadi's cheerharan was taking place and the heroes Dhritrashtra, Bhishma Pitamah, Dronacharya, Arjun, and Yudhishtr were all silent.
More than 400 seats will be won by the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said.
The BJD voted against the no-confidence motion against the government over the Manipur violence, citing "legacy issues" that date back decades as the reason for the unrest in the state.
During the debate, Biju Janata Dal MP Pinaki Misra stated categorically that his party would not back a Congress resolution.
Several opposition lawmakers have also called for Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh to step down in the wake of the recent violence.
TMC lawmaker Saugata Roy has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is systematically dismantling federalism in India.
Singh's resignation was also called for by NCP lawmaker Supriya Sule.
The events in Manipur are despicable. The prime minister should resign immediately, as is my demand. Can you really stand to see the women of our country humiliated in this way? Consider how your morals allow you to back this regime. She questioned how this could be allowed. Amravati MP Navneet Rana, BJP's Narayan Rane, CPI(M)'s A M Arif, and the Samajwadi Party's Dimple Yadav all took part in the debate.
While criticising Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena member and son of Maharashtra's chief minister Eknath Shinde, Shrikant Shinde, performed the Hanuman Chalisa.—Inputs from Agencies