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BJD jabs Congress for bringing no-confidence motion: ‘Every time PM has got up to speak…’
On expected lines, the BJD opposed the no-confidence motion brought by the opposition bloc INDIA and expressed gratitude for the Centre's support to Odisha.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) opposed the no-confidence motion brought by the Congress-led opposition saying it is grateful for many things the central government has done for Odisha. Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion, BJD MP Pinaki Misra questioned the logic behind the move and said the Congress party is “adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”
“I cannot support a no-confidence motion against the central government today, even though we are against the BJP as a political party,” Misra said.
He added, “I am grateful for the many things that the central government has done for Odisha which is why, in any case, I am unable to persuade myself on behalf of my party and leader to support a no-confidence motion today which has been brought by the Congress party.”
Dimple Yadav alleges 'state-sponsored' ethnic violence in Manipur
The opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) has brought the no-confidence motion to force a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Manipur violence.
“I have always believed that the Congress party is adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They are also very adept at cutting their nose to spite their face,” the BJD MP said.
“They know that every time the PM has got up to speak on the Floor of this House, he has pushed the Congress party through the shredder...This defies common sense, logic, political sense,” he said.
Misra said it is for the people of this country to decide if a lack of statement on Manipur from the prime minister was right or wrong.
“You have to take the case to the people.”
The Congress accused Prime Minister Modi of taking a "vow of silence" on issues such as the ethnic violence in Manipur and Chinese incursions, and said opposition parties were forced to bring a no-confidence motion against the government to make him speak up. Initiating the debate on the motion in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi posed a series of three questions focused on Manipur -- why the prime minister had not visited Manipur, why it took 80 days to break the silence on the state and why he had not sacked the chief minister.
Parties of the INDIA were forced to bring the no-confidence motion as this was never about numbers but about justice for Manipur, he said.
"If Manipur is burning, entire India is burning, if Manipur is divided, the country is divided. It was our demand that as the leader of the country, Prime Minister Modi should come to the House and speak about Manipur. However, he kept a 'maun vrat' (vow of silence) that he will neither speak in the Lok Sabha nor in the Rajya Sabha," the Congress MP from Assam said.
"Through the no-confidence motion we want to break his vow of silence," he said.
