The newly-formed alliance of Indian opposition parties plans to table a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament).
The move aims to pressure the Prime Minister to address the distressing Manipur incident. Two women were gang-raped on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, located around 35km from the state capital Imphal.
Despite repeated pleas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refused to provide a statement on the developments in Manipur post-May 3. He has also declined to address the government’s measures to address the situation. The opposition views the no-confidence motion as the sole parliamentary tool to compel the Prime Minister’s response on the matter.
Reports indicate that parliament could table the planned no-confidence motion as early as tomorrow. However, the opposition alliance does not have the necessary numbers to remove Prime Minister Modi from office. Nevertheless, they believe that parliamentary proceedings should only continue once the Prime Minister has addressed the Manipur incident, followed by a debate on the matter.
Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah appealed to opposition leaders of both houses to cooperate in discussing the Manipur issue. The government is ready to engage in the discussion and seeks cooperation from all parties, transcending party lines, to resolve this important issue.
The government desired a parliamentary debate with a more lenient rule that wouldn’t mandate answers from the Prime Minister.
Earlier this month, 26 Indian opposition parties came together to form an alliance called “INDIA,”. It intends to challenge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
According to Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge, “INDIA” stands for “Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.” The two-day meeting of the 26 opposition parties took place in Bengaluru.
