Opposition Brings No-Confidence Vote Against PM Modi

Facts

• On Tuesday, an alliance of Indian opposition parties brought a no-confidence motion in parliament against PM Narendra Modi’s government to force him to address ethnic violence in the northeastern state of Manipur.¹
• The motion — moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on behalf of the 26-party alliance INDIA — was approved by Om Birla, the Speaker of Parliament’s Lower House. Birla stated that debate will be scheduled after consultation with all the parties.²
• Since Modi’s government has a majority in Lok Sabha, its stability isn’t under threat. However, the opposition’s primary goal is to spark debate and force Modi to speak publicly on the situation in Manipur.³
• Ethnic clashes broke out in the state in May, killing at least 130 people and displacing 60K others. However, Modi did not break his silence on events until after a video showing two naked women being paraded and molested by a mob went viral.⁴
• Once approved, the debate on the no-confidence motion must be held within ten days. This is the second time Modi has faced a no-confidence vote, having previously defeated the motion in 2018.⁵
• There have only been 28 no-confidence motions in India since it gained independence, and a motion to compel the PM to speak remains rare.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²The Economic Times, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴BBC News, ⁵Mint, and ⁶The Indian Express.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Time. Modi’s government is facing a no-confidence vote because the prime minister is refusing to acknowledge the ethnic violence in Manipur, just so that he can conceal his failure to protect its compatriots. Manipur’s Christian Kuki minority is being terrorized, but the Hindu nationalist BJP will never stand up against the violence committed against religious minorities.
• Narrative B, as provided by OpIndia. The deranged opposition is inadvertently doing PM Modi a favor by bringing up a no-confidence motion. The last time he faced such a vote, Modi cruised to a resounding electoral victory, so there's a good chance this will only act to reaffirm the BJP's mandate. Modi’s government will not only debate the situation in Manipur; it will turn the opposition’s lies into a win for Modi in 2024.

Predictions