The Indian parliament accepted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government Wednesday. The motion was initiated by Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi and supported by the opposition alliance INDIA.
The motion was initiated due to disruptions in the Parliament and the BJP’s reluctance to address the Opposition’s demand for Modi’s statement on the ethnic violence in Manipur. Its potential impact on the Modi government is likely to be minimal, given the party’s resounding majority of 332 members in the 542-seat lower house of the Parliament. The opposition clarified that their intention behind the no-confidence motion was to apply pressure on the government and seek answers.
Since early May, Manipur has been struggling with ethnic violence between the Christian Kuki minority and the Hindu Meitei majority tribes. The situation intensified with a nearly 100-day internet ban following a High Court order granting ‘Scheduled Tribe’ status to the Meities, entitling them to quotas in government jobs, education and special economic benefits. Prime Minister Modi refrained from commenting on the violence until last week when videos surfaced, showing two women being sexually assaulted by a mob in Manipur, leading to nationwide outrage. In response to the public outcry, Modi finally addressed the issue in a public statement.
Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the government was “ready to discuss” the situation in Manipur “for as long as required,” further adding that “the government has nothing to hide about Manipur.”