No-confidence motion: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi throws three questions to PM Modi, says 'Maun vrat on Manipur…'

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• Aug 8, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. was forced to bring a no-confidence motion against the government in order to...

Digital Desk: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. was forced to bring a no-confidence motion against the government in order 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 claimed that a government that talks of "one India" had created two Manipurs, one in the hills and the other in the valley.

"The Prime Minister took a 'maun vrat' to refrain from speaking 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. 

There were intense exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches as the lower house debated Gogoi's motion, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi wondering why Rahul Gandhi's name as lead speaker was pulled at the last minute.

Also Read : Rahul Gandhi likely to lead no-confidence motion debate in Lok Sabha today

Gogoi's response to the prime minister's remarks in Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's chamber should be revealed in the House elicited a harsh reaction from Union home minister Amit Shah, who stated the member cannot make baseless charges about the PM.

He stated that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties were forced to bring the no-confidence motion since it was never about numbers but about justice for Manipur.

"Manipur needs justice. Martin Luther King Jr. once stated that injustice somewhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If Manipur burns, the entire country burns; if Manipur is divided, the entire country is divided. It was our demand that Prime Minister Modi, as the country's leader, come to the House and talk about Manipur...," Gogoi said.

Gogoi said he wished to question the prime minister about why he hadn't gone to Manipur when Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Shah, and the minister of state for home (Nityanand Rai) did.

The Congress MP stated that it is a matter of grave concern that a government that speaks of "one India" has created two Manipurs, one in the hills and one in the valley.