India opposition seeks no-trust vote against government

Indian opposition parties have moved two no-confidence motions in parliament against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government amid a deadlock over violence in the state of Manipur.

Some leaders have said this is to force Modi to speak on the issue.

Opposition parties have been demanding that the prime minister address parliament on the ethnic clashes.

They have been protesting in and outside parliament since the monsoon session began last week.

Federal home minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha – the lower house of parliament – earlier this week that the government was ready to discuss the violence in Manipur and accused the opposition of preventing this.

At least 130 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in Manipur since May, after violence broke out between the majority Meitei group and the tribal Kuki minority.

Last week, a video that showed two women being paraded naked by a mob sparked global outrage and condemnation.

It also made Modi break his silence on the issue: he said that the incident had “shamed India” and that the attackers wouldn’t be spared.

This is the second time that Modi’s government is facing a no-confidence motion since it came to power in 2014.

In 2018, a lawmaker moved a motion over the issue of granting a special category status to the state. It was defeated after a 12-hour debate.

A no-confidence motion can only be moved in the Lok Sabha and will be accepted if at least 50 lawmakers support it.

Once it is accepted, the speaker will announce a date for a vote within 10 days. If the government is unable to prove its majority, it will have to resign.

The two motions were moved by MPs from the Congress party and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi on Wednesday morning.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not be worried about losing the vote – the party and its allies have a clear majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

But the prime minister will be required to speak to defend his government, which is what the opposition is aiming at.

“We are well aware that the numbers are not in our favour,” Manoj K Jha, an opposition MP, said on Wednesday. “But it is not about the numbers, the PM will have to speak in the Parliament following a no-confidence motion.”

The opposition was “forced to move the no-confidence motion as it was the last weapon”, Congress leader Manickam Tagore said.

BBC