Took rules of no-trust motion to drag PM to Lok Sabha says TMC MP Derek O'Brien

TMC MP Derek O’Brien on Tuesday claimed that it has taken the rules of a no-confidence motion moved by the opposition to “drag” Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Lok Sabha. In a tweet, the TMC’s Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha also urged the prime minister to come to the Upper House. “It’s taken the rules of a no-confidence motion to finally drag the PM to the Lok Sabha,” he tweeted. “And in the Rajya Sabha, what’s stopping this heartless government from starting the discussion on Manipur today, August 8, at 11 am. Let’s begin,” he added in the tweet. The Lok Sabha is set to witness a fierce debate on the no-confidence motion against the BJP-led government on Tuesday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose membership was restored in the wake of the Supreme Court staying his conviction in a defamation case, is likely to be the lead speaker of the INDIA opposition bloc. The motion of no-confidence by Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, has been listed as agenda item three in the List of Business. It will take place under the shadow of the ethnic violence in Manipur, which has led to repeated disruptions in both Houses of Parliament. Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on Thursday. The numbers are comfortably stacked in favour of the government and the opposition is expected to utilise the opportunity to demonstrate its newly firmed-up unity to take on the Modi-led BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year.