NEW DELHI: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday expressed confidence that the Opposition-backed no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government will be accepted with a voice vote on Friday.
“Who says we don’t have the numbers,” UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said when she was quizzed about the Opposition-backed no-confidence motion and its possibility of sailing through the Lok Sabha where the ruling BJP has a brute majority.
“Who says we don’t have the numbers?,” asks Sonia Gandhi when asked about No Confidence motion #MonsoonSession (File pic) pic.twitter.com/oZWzppWTKO
— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2018
The remarks from the UPA chief came shortly after the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday accepted a no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against the Modi government.
Mahajan said she had received notices from at least six MPs seeking no trust vote against the Narendra Modi government and was duty-bound to put it to the consideration of the House.
She said Kesineni Srinavas of the Telugu Desam Party was the first to give his no-confidence notice and asked members if it can be moved. She asked Srinavas to introduce the motion which was supported by over 50 members, including Congress and other opposition MPs.
After she counted the supporters of the motion, Mahajan said the notice has been accepted.
“The House will take up the debate (on the motion) on Friday, July 20th. The discussion will be held for the full day, followed by voting on it,” Mahajan announced in the House when it reassembled after the lunch break on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, however, said that the government was ready to face the no trust motion and asked Mahajan that it may be tabled.
“Everything will be clear after the discussion. I want to make it clear in the House that the people of the country have full confidence on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government,” Ananth Kumar said.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Speaker why the other members who had submitted their notices were not allowed to read them.
She said rules allowed her to table the notice that was submitted first. She said she read out the names of these members.
These include Kharge, KC Venugopal (Congress), Tariq Anwar (Nationalist Congress Party), NK Premachandran (Revolutionary Socialist Party) and Thota Narsimham (TDP).
The Opposition parties pressed for the no-confidence motion against the government on issues like Grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh, lynchings, atrocities against women and dalits and dilution of a law meant for Scheduled Caste.
Source: Zee News