Trust vote sets the tone for 2019 poll

Rahul flags defence deals, crony capitalism; PM says Opposition unity only aimed at removing him

July 21, 2018 01:24 am | Updated December 04, 2021 11:55 pm IST - NEW DELHI

The numbers shown at the Lok Sabha display during voting on the no-confidence motion on July 20, 2018.

The numbers shown at the Lok Sabha display during voting on the no-confidence motion on July 20, 2018.

The BJP-led NDA government on Friday defeated the no-confidence motion moved against it by the Opposition and initiated by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) after a 12-hour debate that sketched the contours of the 2019 electoral face-offs. The final figures, subject to correction, stood at 325 with the government and 126 against, with no abstentions. The figures indicate that even without the Shiv Sena, the BJP got support from non-NDA parties.

From Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s sharp attack over defence deals and crony capitalism which, however, ended in a unprecedented and disarming hug of a startled Prime Minister, to Mr. Modi’s assertion that it was the arrogance of the Congress that had propelled the motion, the Lok Sabha debate, set the tone for the next general election.

Congress targeted

While the no-confidence motion was moved by the TDP, Mr. Modi’s speech was dominated by references to the Congress and its attempts to forge an Opposition unity against the BJP, only, he said, to “remove Modi.”

“As I listened to the speeches, I realised that the words flew not unknowingly or due to false confidence, but from arrogance,” Mr. Modi said. Dismissing Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s surprise hug from across the aisle, the Prime Minister said it reflected a “hurry to come to power”.

 

“In the morning, the voting was not over, the debate was also not over; one member comes running to me saying ‘Get up! Get up’. What is his hurry to come to power? Let me tell this member: it is the people who elected us. That is how we have come here,” Mr. Modi said.

Advising the Opposition to “have confidence in democracy”, Mr. Modi said, “This is not a floor test of the government but a floor test of the Congress and the parties it wants to ally with. It is the Congress seeking validation from allies for their leader’s candidacy as the candidate for prime minister.”

Blames finance panel

While TDP MPs rose in protest, Mr. Modi gave short shrift to their arguments. “Congress did such a bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh that it led to conflicts. We are committed to the development of Andhra Pradesh but the government is bound by the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission,” he said.

Referring to a special package that had been announced for Andhra Pradesh in 2016, which had been publicly welcomed by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. “Just because of your internal politics with the YSRCP, you are doing this, I said to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,” he said. He singled out the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government for praise, saying that they were doing good work in developing the State.

While Prime Minister Modi’s speech was about the larger Opposition unity against him and his government’s achievements, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Jayadev Galla set the tone for the Opposition initiating the debate. “It is a war between majority and morality. It is a war between the Modi regime and Andhra Pradesh and the five-crore people of Andhra Pradesh. It is a war against discrimination shown by the Modi regime towards Andhra Pradesh. It is a war to honour an Act of Parliament and an assurance made by a Prime Minister in Parliament,” he said.

Mr. Galla’s hour-long speech, which detailed the failed promises, lack of funds, detailed projects, attacked the BJP government. “I even go to the extent of saying that the BJP will be decimated in Andhra Pradesh the way Congress was if the people of Andhra Pradesh are deceived and cheated. Mr. Prime Minister, it is not the threat. This is a shraap [curse],” he said.

It was, however, Congress president Rahul Gandhi who provided the most dramatic moments on Friday by not just hugging Prime Minister Modi across the aisle but with an attacking speech that ranged from defence deals relating to the Rafale aircraft to crony capitalism.

“The Prime Minister must explain as to why this contract was taken away from HAL [Hindustan Aeronautics Limited] and the youngsters of Karnataka and given to a businessman who had a debt of ₹35,000 crore and who has never ever built an aeroplane in his life,” Mr Gandhi said.

The Congress chief referred to his meeting with the French President Emanuel Macron and claimed that the French leader had told him that the cost of the Rafale deal is not a secret as claimed by the Defence ministry.

“I have no hesitation in saying that... under pressure from the Prime Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman spoke untruth to the people. Who are being helped? Nirmala-ji, PM-ji, please tell the country,” he said. When the protests drew loud protests from the BJP members, including the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he hit back.

“I have said it clearly that the Prime Minister can’t look into my eyes. At times, he is looking here, at other times, he is looking there… No matter how much you shout, the country has seen this moment. The country has now understood that the Prime Minister is not a chowkidaar [watchman] but a bhagidaar [collaborator],” he alleged.

Mocking the Modi government for not being able to fulfil its pre-election promises, such as creating two crore jobs every year and depositing ₹15 lakh into every Indian’s bank account, the Congress chief said the country has been affected by BJP’s weapon of jhumla strikes (false promises).

“Now, who else are the victims of the jhumla strike? They are the kisan s of the country, the youngsters of the country, the Dalits, the tribals and the women of the country,’’ he said.

However, the debate in the Lok Sabha also showed up surprise political alignments, with the NDA ally Shiv Sena refusing to participate in the debate or support the government and the neutral Biju Janata Dal (BJD) abstaining from both debate and voting.

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