Monsoon session of Parliament: Opposition to bring no-confidence motion against govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar, Congress partys Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: The shadow of 'no confidence motion' against the ruling NDA government looms large over the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting on Wednesday. The Congress has announced that it will bring a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the upcoming session and added that it is in talks with other opposition parties on the issue. "Yesterday, a 12-party meeting was held and we agreed upon bringing a vote of no confidence. We will also demand the special status for Andhra Pradesh," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Yesterday a 12 party meeting was held and we agreed upon bringing a vote of no confidence and we will also demand the special status for Andhra Pradesh, and by tonight we will mobilise it as much as possible: Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Leader pic.twitter.com/fBUAN3X8ig

— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2018

He said the party would raise several issues for discussion in the session such as those of women's safety, "misrule" in Jammu and Kashmir, dilution of SC/ST Act, attempts to abolish reservation policy and issues of farmers. He also criticised the government for allegedly ignoring rules in appointing heads of autonomous institutions, rising petrol and diesel prices, depreciation of rupee and "worsening" foreign policy. The senior Congress leader also accused the government of indulging in corruption during demonetisation 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. 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 all of them. Also, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has written to various parties and sought their support for the no-confidence motion his party seeks to move in Parliament against the government over the "injustice" meted out to Andhra Pradesh due to non-fulfilment of promise of granting special status to the state. Naidu said in view of the continued "adamant attitude of the BJP-led NDA government, the TDP has decided to move no-confidence motion against the Modi government again in the ensuing Monsoon Session of Parliament". (With inputs from agencies)