INDIA bloc walks out of LS Business Advisory Committee meet, demands no-trust motion debate on Wednesday

Members of the INDIA bloc parties on Tuesday staged a walkout of the Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee, convened by Speaker Om Birla, to protest against the decision to take up the debate on the no-confidence motion on August 8. The Lok Sabha will debate the no-confidence between August 8 and 10, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to reply to the Opposition-sponsored move on the last day. The decision was taken at the Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee meeting. Manickam Tagore, the Congress’ whip in the Lok Sabha, said the Lok Sabha was adjourned after the parties of the INDIA alliance demanded the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that he make a statement on the Manipur issue. At 12 pm, there was a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, he said. “In the Business Advisory Committee meeting as well, INDIA alliance parties demanded that the no-confidence motion be brought up earlier. We wanted that the no-confidence motion be taken up tomorrow (Wednesday) itself,” he said. In the 16th Lok Sabha, Tagore said, when the Telugu Desam Party moved a no confidence motion, it was listed the following day. “Therefore, the delay is not proper. In protest of that, INDIA alliance partners walked out of the Speaker’s Business Advisory Committee meeting,” the Congress leader said. DMK leader TR Balu said they walked out of the meeting as the government wanted them to endorse its decision to start discussions on the no-confidence motion on August 8. The Opposition leaders have been citing Lok Sabha precedence and rules that a no-confidence motion be taken up first after setting aside all other government business. The government has insisted that there are no rules or precedence which make it mandatory for the House to take up the no-confidence motion immediately. It has argued that rules state the motion should be taken up for discussion within 10 working days of being admitted. Congress member Gaurav Gogoi moved the no-confidence motion against the government last week.