Lok Sabha to take up no-confidence motion from August 10

The debate on the no-confidence against the Union council of ministers will take place between August 8 and 10 in the Lok Sabha, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the House, chaired by Speaker Om Birla, decided on Tuesday.

The schedule fixed in the last week of the ongoing monsoon session, gives a wide window to the government to clear its pending legislative business, even as the Opposition parties are vehemently protesting against admission of any agenda before taking up the no-confidence motion.

In the past six days, since the no-confidence motion was adopted, the government has introduced nine bills, and the Lok Sabha has cleared eight bills amid loud protests by Opposition parties.

On July 26, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla admitted a notice for a no-confidence motion by Congress lawmaker Gaurav Gogoi, setting the stage for a parliamentary battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the newly constituted Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) comprising of 26parties.

The debate on the one-line motion, which says the House has lost its confidence in the Union council of ministers, will start at 12 noon on August 8. The Prime Minister will reply to the debate on August 10, functionaries indicated. There is a possibility that the monsoon session will end after his reply.

To be sure, the motion poses no threat to Modi government, which commands a brute majority in the Lower House. The Opposition has maintained it wants to use the debate to try and corner the government on the continuing violence in Manipur.

At least 150 people have died in ethnic clashes in the northeastern state, and a 30-second video of a barbaric sexual assault of two women by a mob has sparked a nationwide outcry, and rocked Parliament.

At the BAC meeting on Tuesday, Opposition leaders were furious at the way the government is pushing bills in spite of the pending no-confidence debate. Congress floor leader Adhir Chowdhury, Trinamool’s Sudip Bandopadhyay and others strongly objected to the government’s spree to clear bills. They pointed out that in 2018, when a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lawmaker moved a notice for no-confidence motion, the debate started the next day.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi argued that it is just a convention that suggests no other substantive business can be taken up once a no-confidence motion is moved, but rules doesn’t prohibit the government to push its legislative agenda in such a situation.

“When a no-confidence motion has been admitted by Lok Sabha Speaker, all other business and transaction activities are suspended. But for the first time, the government is introducing and passing bills. I think there is question on the constitutionality of the bills which were passed after the admission of no-confidence motion,” said Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha.

This is the second no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government -- the NDA defeated the one moved by TDP in 2018 by 325-126margin -- and the 28th since 1952. This is also the seventh instance of the Lower House discussing a no-confidence motion within 12 months of national polls.

The BJP has 303 members in the Lok Sabha, and with its allies, the NDA has 336. The Opposition INDIA has 134 members in the Lower House.

Admitting the motion, Birla said that he will talk to leaders of different parties and announce a schedule for the debate later. As per the procedure, the Prime Minister, who is also the Leader of the Lok Sabha, and other parties were consulted before the dates were finalised.