Congress will regret the no-confidence motion later: Kiren Rijiju

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, while arguing against the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition parties in Lok Sabha, said that the Congress will regret it later. "This no-confidence motion has been brought at a very wrong time and in a wrong manner. The Congress party will regret it later," Union minister Kiren Rijiju said in Lok Sabha.

The motion was brought to the House by Congress Party MP Gaurav Gogoi amidst the Opposition’s ongoing protests demanding a statement on the situation in Manipur from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was accepted by Speaker Om Birla on July 26.

The minister further slammed the previous UPA government at the Centre for “racial discrimination and atrocities” faced by the people from Northeast in the national capital. “Before 2014, many people from the Northeast faced racial discrimination and atrocities in Delhi and other major cities of the country. After 2014 the situation changed, and the DGP conference was held in Guwahati for the first time after independence. During this meeting, the PM directed that police must ensure the security of people from the Northeast,” Kiren Rijiju said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Kiren Rijiju also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the trust of eight Northeast states by working for them. "Working for people and understanding their issues is how we can reach them. PM Modi won the trust of the people living in the eight Northeast states that way," he added. Further, hitting out the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A-- the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, Rijiju said that the name of the coalition will not help the parties when they are working “against India.

“Nothing will happen by naming the alliance I.N.D.I.A when you are actually working against India,” he said. Rijiju also said that because of a ‘strong’ leadership in the country, no foreign power can interfere in India’s internal matters.

"...The days are gone when foreign powers would tell India what to do and what not to do...Today, no foreign power can interfere in our internal matters...," the minister said. The debate on the no-confidence motion was initiated by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, with heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his second no-confidence motion in Parliament today, the first in his second term as the PM. However, Modi's government won't lose the vote as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies have a majority in parliament. But opposition leaders say the debate will force Modi to speak on ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur state. Any Lok Sabha MP, who has the support of 50 colleagues, can, at any point of time, introduce a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers.

Thereafter, a discussion on the motion takes place. MPs who support the motion highlight the government’s shortcomings, and the Treasury Benches respond to the issues they raise.