New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) The Congress party on Tuesday said it will bring a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the monsoon session of Parliament and added that it is in talks with other opposition parties on the issue.
Going a step ahead, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Tuesday submitted a notice for no-trust motion. It asked the Lok Sabha Secretary-General to include the no-trust motion in the list of business on Wednesday — the opening day of the session.
Addressing the media, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would raise several issues for discussion in the session such as mob lynching, woman safety, “misrule” in Jammu and Kashmir, dilution of SC/ST Act, attempts to abolish reservation in autonomous institutions and issues of farmers, unemployment and poor investments, besides special status to Andhra Pradesh.
He also criticised the government for allegedly ignoring rules in appointing heads of autonomous institutions, rising petrol and diesel prices, depreciation of the rupee and “worsening” foreign policy.
“Yesterday (Monday), out of 17 opposition parties, 12 parties which were present in the opposition meeting agreed to move a vote of no-confidence against the government on these issues, apart from special status to Andhra Pradesh,” Kharge told reporters.
“It will be brought after meeting and talking to all the parties. We are in talks with all opposition parties and trying to mobilize them,” he added.
The senior Congress leader also accused the government of indulging in corruption during demonetization and alleged that there was a scam in Ahmedabad District Co-operative bank accepting over Rs 750 crore — highest among cooperative banks — post the note ban announcement.
He also said that issues of black money and a 50 percent increase in Swiss Bank accounts will also be raised during the session.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah is the Director of the Ahmedabad District Co-operative, Kharge underlined.
A number of opposition parties had given notices for no-confidence motion during the Budget session, but Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had rejected them all.
The leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, accusing the government of not letting Parliament function in the previous sessions (Winter and Budget), said: “It was not the Congress which was responsible for not allowing the House to function. It was the ruling party which did not have the will to allow the House to function.”
“Government doesn’t have the guts to face the public and the opposition because all promises they had made were a falsehood,” he added.
Azad said: “Government has to be very careful in its utterances. For the last few days, an atmosphere is being created across the country of dividing the nation. That is not in the interest of the country. There is a huge nexus between the ruling party and all those who are doing nasty things like lynchings all over the country.”
The leader also said that EVM machines should be done away with an original system should be restored. He also raised concern over how leaders of opposition parties do not get a chance to raise various issues in Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha TV.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “Rising prices are slicing people’s budget, but apathetic Prime Minister Narendra Modi is busy in dividing people.
“In the last four years, people have witnessed price rise, rampant unemployment, reduction in savings, low growth, the economy in turmoil and rising cost of living,” he added.