New Delhi: Union Minister Amit Shah attacked the Opposition in Parliament Wednesday for bringing the no-confidence motion, saying it was only aimed at creating confusion among the people.
He said neither the people nor the Parliament lacked confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet. “The country has voted the Prime Minister to power twice. He is the most successful PM in India,” Shah said, as he replied to the Opposition’s motion, aimed at forcing a comprehensive debate over Manipur.
Shah said Modi practised the politics of performances, while listing out the “three ills” in the system so far – “corruption, dynasty and appeasement”.
He added: “The PM has raised a slogan today – Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India and Appeasement Quit India.”
Before addressing the violence in Manipur, the Union Minister said he was compelled to list out his government’s achievements in his speech as the no-confidence motion was “politically motivated”.
“The Modi government has taken more than 50 landmark decisions in the last nine years,” Shah said, adding the Prime Minister had also worked hard to enhance the prestige of India before the world.
He spoke about “India’s 231% growth in Internet connectivity, its successful fight against Covid, and the Rs 2.4 lakh crore that was directly sent to farmers’ accounts”, and berated the previous Congress-led UPA government for offering them “a lollypop of Rs 70,000 crore debt”.
The Union Minister talked about a “terror-free Kashmir”, protection to temples, the ban on the Popular Front of India, attacks on Indian consulates abroad etc and began addressing the Northeast almost an hour into his speech.
He said NDA governments in Northeast states had brought about tremendous infrastructural improvement, “because Modi brought the region into the mainstream”.
“Modi has gone to the Northeast more than 50 times in the last nine years,” Shah said, accusing the Opposition’s governments of “doing nothing” for those states.
“We have not brought peace to the Northeast with mere feelings… We planned it well,” Shah said, detailing the increased number of surrenders by the region’s militants.
On Manipur, Shah agreed with the Opposition, and admitted the state had seen incidents of violence and that his government was aggrieved by it. “But it is shameful to do politics over violence,” Shah said.
He said the Opposition’s charge that the government was not ready for a discussion on Manipur was wrong. “I was ready for it from day one, but they only wanted to oppose,” Shah said, adding that they could have gone to the Prime Minister if they were unsatisfied with his reply.
In his over two-hour speech, the home minister said the ethnic violence in Manipur was triggered by certain circumstances, and it should not be turned into a political issue.
“107 people were killed in May. 30 were killed in June, 15 were killed in July. Out of the 107 people killed in May, 68 were killed on 3, 4 and 5 May. I want to say here that violence is gradually reducing, and we should not add oil to fire,” he said.
Shah appealed “with folded hands” to the two warring communities in Manipur to resist from violence, saying it was not the solution. “We are in discussions with the Meiteis and the Kuki. Let us sit together and talk to resolve all issues. The Indian government has no intention of changing the state’s demography,” he said.
He also told the House that the highest incidents of communal violence had taken place under the Prime Ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had led the Opposition charge earlier Wednesday, and lashed out at the government for “dividing Manipur” and not sending the Indian Army, which, he believes, could restore peace in a day.
In an impassioned speech, the Wayanad MP said the ruling government had murdered the voice of India, and killed “Bharat Mata” in the northeastern state with its neglect of the widespread ethnic clashes between the valley-based Meiteis and the hill-based Kuki tribes.
He added: “Bharat ek awaaz hai, Bharat hamari janta ki awaaz hai, dil ki awaaz hai. Uss awaaz ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki. Iska matlab Bharat Mata ki hatya aapne Manipur mein ki… You killed India by killing the people of Manipur. You are a traitor, you are not a patriot.”
The ruling MPs were up on their feet at Gandhi’s reference to “Bharat Mata”, with Union Minister Smriti Irani replying that this was perhaps the first time in the history of the nation that someone spoke about the murder of “Bharat Mata” in the House and was at once cheered by his compatriots.
She condemned Gandhi’s “aggressive behaviour”, retorting: “You are not India, for India is not corrupt. India believes in merit not in dynasty, and today of all days, people like you need to remember what was told to the British — ‘Quit India. Corruption Quit India, Dynasty Quit India’. Merit now finds its place in India.”
Irani also said the government had repeatedly offered a debate but “the opposition ran away from it”. “Manipur is not divided,” she said, adding, “It is an integral part of India.”
The three-day no-confidence discussion began Tuesday with a cut-throat debate over Manipur where ongoing ethnic clashes have claimed over 150 lives and driven thousands to relief camps.
The no-confidence motion, brought against the government to force a discussion on Manipur, will not affect the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which enjoys a strong majority in the Lok Sabha.
The Opposition has said the motion was “the last resort” as it would at least compel the House to thoroughly discuss a burning issue in the country – in this case Manipur – and force a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ever since the Monsoon Session started on 20 July, adjournments have been the order of the day because the ruling government would not give in to the Opposition’s demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur and a “comprehensive statement” by the Prime Minister.
The government offered a short-duration debate instead and an address by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which the Opposition rejected and moved for a no-confidence vote instead.
In its defence, the government argued that during previous violence in 1993 and 1997, no statement was made in one case, and in the other, the junior home minister had spoken.
The Opposition, however, said nothing could be more important for the Prime Minister than Manipur, given the sheer number of deaths, the crimes against women, and the thousands displaced and living in relief camps.
Also read: ‘You have killed Bharat Mata in Manipur,’ Rahul charges at BJP govt in no-confidence debate