Lok Sabha schedules debate on No-Confidence Motion from August 8 to 10, PM Modi may respond on the final day
New Delhi, PTI: Lok Sabha is set to debate the No-Confidence Motion from August 8 to 10, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having the opportunity to respond on the 10th. The government has asserted that there is no rule mandating an immediate discussion on the No-Confidence Motion in the House. The ‘I-n-d-i-a’ coalition and the Indian National Congress had demanded an immediate consideration of the motion. Both parties have opposed the government’s decision to prioritize its legislative agenda.
No mandatory immediate discussion on No-Confidence Motion:
The government strongly emphasized that there is no such rule or precedence that compels an immediate discussion on the No-Confidence Motion in the House. The government argued that as per the rules, the motion should be taken up for debate within ten working days after its acceptance.
Congress’s stand:
In response to the demand made by the ‘I-n-d-i-a’ coalition for the presence of Prime Minister Modi and a statement on the Manipur issue in the House, the Congress representative, Manickam Tagore, announced the postponement of Lok Sabha. He stated that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, which included members of the ‘India’ coalition, had requested an immediate submission of the No-Confidence Motion. He emphasized that they wished for the discussion to take place the following day. He pointed out that during the 16th Lok Sabha, when the TDP brought a No-Confidence Motion, it was listed for the next day. Hence, the delay is not justified. In opposition to this, the coalition’s ally left the Lok Sabha Speaker’s Business Advisory Committee in protest.
T.R. Baalu’s statement:
T.R. Baalu, a leader from the opposition, revealed that they walked out of the Business Advisory Committee meeting as the government intended to commence the discussion on the No-Confidence Motion on August 8, seeking their endorsement for the decision.
Acceptance of the No-Confidence Motion on July 26:
The opposition leaders reiterated the primacy of parliamentary norms and procedures, stating that after segregating all other government business, the No-Confidence Motion should have been taken up first. The motion was initially submitted by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on July 26.
