New Delhi: Opposition members protest in front of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan demanding special status for the state of Andhra Pradesh during the second phase of the budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI Photo)
The no-confidence motions moved against Narendra Modi government could not be taken in the Lok Sabha on Monday as the House was adjourned following noisy protests and sloganeering from members of various parties. The motions were moved by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), who have been demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh.
The motions were supposed to be taken up after the Question Hour, but members from the Opposition parties trooped into the Well of the house carrying placards and raising slogans. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the house briefly till 12 pm. Once the House resumed, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready for discussion on any issue, including on the no-confidence motion and appealed to all parties to cooperate.
As the uproar continued, Mahajan said she was duty-bound to take up the notices for no-confidence motion but could not as the House was not in order. “Since the House is not in order, I will not be able to bring it… I am sorry,” she said, before adjourning the proceedings for the day.
The Congress, Left Front, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the AIMIM have extended their support for the motion. Shiv Sena, BJP’s ally in Maharashtra, said the party has not decided on its course of action and chief Uddhav Thackeray will take a final call. Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, however, said the party will abstain from voting. In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana,’ Sena said the TDP’s motion has put an end to the “myth” that the BJP-led central government has an unshakable mandate for the next 25 years. It, however, alleged that TDP’s move was driven by its own political compulsions, and said the no-confidence motion will be futile as the NDA government enjoys a majority.
We will neither support the Government nor the Opposition, we will abstain: Arvind Sawant,Shiv Sena MP on no confidence motion #budgetsession pic.twitter.com/6MV6mqj7jX
— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018
DMK leader Stalin asked the Tamil Nadu government to support the no-trust motion called by CM Naidu. “Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu to put pressure on Central government has gone for no-confidence motion for the welfare of their state. I ask this (Tamil Nadu) Government to support TDP’s no-confidence motion,” he was quoted by ANI as saying. The AIADMK and the BJD have not taken any decision about their stand on the vote. BJP’s ally Shiromani Akali Dal said the party supports granting of special category status to AP, but is not in favour of the no-confidence motion.
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New Delhi: Opposition members protest during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, in New Delhi on Monday. PTI Photo / TV GRAB
The government, meanwhile, has expressed confidence that the notices, even if they are admitted, will be defeated given its strength in Lok Sabha. “We are ready to face the no-confidence motion as we have support in the House. We are confident,” Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters before the House convened. Ram Madhav, BJP’s General Secretary also alleged that the TDP’s stand is political in nature. “We aren’t afraid of the no-confidence motion, we have numbers in Parliament. TDP’s stand is political. Suddenly, taking up sentimental issue and trying to bring no-confidence motion is something that they have to explain to the people of Andhra Pradesh,” he said, as reported by ANI.
TDP MPs protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament over special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury also joined the protest. (Express photo by Praveen Jain)
Telugu Desam Party’s MP RM Naidu told ANI that the party was looking for a debate and not trying to destabilise the government. “We are going to go move a no-confidence motion, gather the support of all respective parties in Parliament. It’s the responsibility of all parties in Parliament to support us. We are trying to gather as much support as possible so debate happens, not trying to make the government fall,” he said. The TDP MPs protested in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parliament and were joined by Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury.
In the meantime, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day within minutes of its meeting amid protests from TDP members over special status to Andhra Pradesh and AIADMK’s protest over the Cauvery issue. Chairman of the upper house Venkaiah Naidu said the Parliament has become a “laughing stock” because of repeated adjournments due to the protests from the Well of the House. “This is not in the interest of the country, this is not in the interest of Parliament,” he added asking members to allow the House to function.
The Budget Session, which started on March 5, has almost been a washout with the Opposition raising issues like the multi-crore PNB fraud, special status to Andhra Pradesh and the Cauvery issue.