Modi holds meeting with Rajnath, Pralhad to discuss govt's strategy in Parliament

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Arjun Ram Meghwal to discuss the government's strategy in Parliament. Meanwhile, PM Modi is set to address the Lok Sabha in response to the Opposition's no-confidence motion against the NDA government.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirming the PM's presence at the Parliament on Wednesday, said, "The PM will be present in the House on Thursday to reply to the no-confidence motion." The opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government on July 26 which was accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

This is the second time Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing a no-confidence motion. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday initiated the debate on the motion which later turned into a heated argument between the Opposition and the Centre.

The Parliament has been witnessing a logjam over a number of issues, including the violence in Manipur, since the beginning of the Monsoon Session on July 20. The opposition leaders have been demanding a full-fledged discussion on the issue including a statement by the prime minister in the Parliament. Both houses -- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha -- have seen repeated adjournments amid massive ruckus by the opposition leaders.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, while speaking on Manipur violence in Lok Sabha appealed with 'folded hands' for an end to the three-month-long cycle of violence in the state and urged Kuki and Meitei communities to hold talks saying violence cannot be a solution to any problem. "Come and hold talks. I urge both communities to sit with the Centre and talk to resolve the issue. We do not wish to change the demography. Violence is not a solution to any problem. I assure you that we will bring peace to the state. Politics should not be done on this issue," Amit Shah said

Manipur had been on the boil for the last three months after ethnic clashes broke out between two tribal communities Meitis and Kukis, when the Manipur High Court asked the state government to consider adding one of the communities to the list of Scheduled Tribes.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing his second no-confidence motion in Parliament today, the first in his second term as the PM.