The debate over the no-trust motion against the BJP-led NDA government, moved by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has started in the lower house of the Parliament, Lok Sabha.
Starting the no-confidence motion, TDP’s Jayadav Galla made a fiery speech accusing the BJP of lying to the people of Andhra Pradesh and causing distrust.
The Congress and the opposition parties say it will be the debate and not the voting that is all-important. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is expected to lead the opposition charge, while PM Narendra Modi will reply to the debate.
The opposition is likely to corner BJP on several issues including women safety, mob lynching, plight of farmers and the complex issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP-led NDA government also see this as an opportunity to present its views ahead of the 2019 general elections.
BJP chief Amit Shah had been working the phones to bring on board upset allies and non-aligned parties – the idea being to secure a two-thirds majority in the voting this evening, reported NDTV.
In the 524-member House, the NDA has the support of 315 MPs and the UPA 63. The focus today will be on the AIADMK, BJD and TRS, which have 37, 19 and 11 MPs respectively. Several regional parties have not come out in support of either the government or the Opposition and have chosen to take a neutral stand and may perhaps abstain during voting, reported The Indian Express.
Today’s no-confidence motion, the 27th in Parliamentary history, is the first to be admitted in 15 years. The last was in 2003 when the Congress party moved a no-confidence motion against prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Live Updates:
- “It would have been good on Rajnath Singh’s part if he had told what the Centre has done to Andhra Pradesh in the last 4 years instead of saying I am a good friend”: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu
- Kharge also slammed Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde’s remarks that the “Constitution needs to be changed from time to time and we have come for that.”
- On the issue pertaining to Andhra Pradesh, Kharge accused the BJP-led central government of following “divide and rule”. “We are supporting the TDP even if they don’t support us,” Kharge said.
- Mallikarjun Kharge begins speaking in Lok Sabha, hits back at BJP saying, “PM Modi had promised farmers that they would be given MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission during 2014 elections. However, it turned out to be a hollow promise.”
- Tejashwi Yadav congratulates Rahul Gandhi tweeting, “Oh that wink my friend! Hit them hard where it hurts..Congratulations for unearthing their mines of lies & a fantastic speech”
- Ram Vilas Paswan blames Congress for problem concerning Andhra Pradesh
- NCP leader Tariq Anwar criticised the present dispensation over wide-range of issues ranging from mob-lynching to rising prices. Prime Minister’s silence on lynchings is like tacit support to mob violence, he said.
- “Those who talk about mob lynching, they should know that most numbers of mob lynching incidents have happened in 1984”: Rajnath Singh
- “Mob lynching incidents are very unfortunate and I asked state governments to make strictest of laws against it”: Rajnath Singh
- “No major incident of terrorism has happened in India in the last four years”: Rajnath Singh
- ‘It should not have happened’: LS speaker on Rahul hugging PM
- Rajnath Singh said everything with Indian economy and India is fastest growing economy. Takes credit for Samsung’s Noida unit.
- “His behaviour was childish. He has grown old but it is unfortunate that he has not grown up. It is unfortunate that the president of Congress is so ill-informed and immature,” said BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party will bring a privilege motion against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over his “false allegations” in the Lok Sabha, reported ANI.
- SP patriarch and Azamgarh MP Mulayam Singh Yadav said under the BJP’s rule, farmers are worried and unemployed have no way out. “BJP workers unhappy with their own govt,” Yadav quips
- Roy adds, “The PM talked about Trinamool syndicate. That is nothing. Let me tell you about the Modi syndicate – Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Bada Modi, who are looting the country.”
- MP Saugata Roy targets the PM for ‘globe-trotting’ and mocks him for saying ‘Barack is my friend’, adding that, ‘PM ko pheriwaala jaisey ghoomnay ka zaroorat nai’.
- Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy is addressing the House now. Roy says no-trust isn’t a matter of number crunching, but one of principles. There is already no confidence against the government, he says, pointing to the empty BJD benches.
- Rahul Gandhi hugs PM Modi saying “I might be Pappu for you, but I don’t have hatred for anyone. This is what Hinduism stands for and not the hatred.”
- “Women atrocities are on peak yet PM won’t speak a word. Shameful!”: Rahul Gandhi
- Rahul Gandhi resumes the debate, says don’t be scared
- Debate stopped till 1:45 PM due to ruckus
- “Chaukidar naghi, bhaagidar hain Pradhan Mantri”: Rahul Gandhi
- Prime minister must answer, he is nervous, he can’t look into my eyes : Rahul Gandhi
- Gandhi hits on Modi for publicising Jio, helping out Reliance and the “rafale scam”
- Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Modi on “BJP’s GST,” says we wanted to truely implement one GST with petrol and diesel included.
- Rahul Gandhi starts to speak, lashes out at ‘jhumlas’ by the BJP government.
- We take pride in saying that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi we have given this nation a clean government: BJP’s Rakesh Singh
- The number of MPs in the house has reduced to 497, due to the Shiv Sena and the BJD skipping the session. The ruling dispensation requires 249 votes to win the vote of no-trust.
- Today’s no confidence motion is a war between majority and morality: TDP MP Jayadev Galla
- BJP is delaying, misleading colluding with our enemies, we are on watch list, YCR CP on the guest list of PM..Do justice to AP, Sardar Patel said: it will be a folly to ignore reality because facts and truth will take their revenge: Jayadev Galla
- BJD Mps have walked out of the parliament ahead of the debate, making it clear that they did not support the no confidence motion against the BJP-led government
- Shiv Sena too has withdrawn its whip to MPs even after first directing them to vote in favour of no confidence motion.