Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. was forced to bring the no-confidence motion against the government to break Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "maun vrat" (vow of silence) on the Manipur violence.
Initiating the debate on the motion in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi alleged that a government which talks about “one India has created two Manipurs -- one living in hills and the other in the valley”.
“The Prime Minister took a 'maun vrat' to not speak in Parliament. So, we had to bring the no-confidence motion to break his silence. We have three questions for him - 1) Why did he not visit Manipur to date? 2) Why did it take almost 80 days to finally speak on Manipur and when he did speak it was just for 30 seconds? 3) Why has the PM not sacked the Manipur CM so far?” Gogoi asked.
As the lower house took up the motion moved by Gogoi, there were heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches after Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi wondered why Rahul Gandhi's name as lead speaker was withdrawn last minute.
{{/usCountry}}As the lower house took up the motion moved by Gogoi, there were heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches after Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi wondered why Rahul Gandhi's name as lead speaker was withdrawn last minute.
{{/usCountry}}Gogoi's response that should the remarks made by the prime minister in Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's chamber be revealed in the House evoked a sharp retort from Union home minister Amit Shah who said the member cannot make unsubstantiated claims about the PM.
He said the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties were forced to bring the no-confidence motion as this was never about numbers but about justice for Manipur.
"Manipur demands justice. Martin Luther King Jr had said injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If Manipur is burning, the whole of 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…," Gogoi said.
Gogoi said he would like to ask the prime minister why had he not gone to Manipur, when Rahul Gandhi had gone as had Home Minister Shah and the minister of state for home (Nityanand Rai).
The Congress MP said it is a matter of grave concern that a government which talks about "one India has created two Manipurs -- one living in hills and the other in the valley".