Rahul Gandhi to speak on no-confidence motion against Modi govt on August 8

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is likely to initiate the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the debate on Thursday.

Though the motion has been moved by Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi, the leader of the party in the LS Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that Gandhi will “in all likelihood” be fielded as the first speaker when the House takes up the issue at noon.

“We have been allotted 90 minutes to make our points during the motion. There’s a likelihood that Rahul Gandhi will be our first speaker,” Chowdhury said. In all, the Congress is likely to field 7-8 speakers, and apart from Gandhi, Gogoi and Chowdhury are going to speak.

Government sources said that over 15 speakers are likely to speak on behalf of the government during the motion which will be taken up from Tuesday to Thursday. Several of the speakers from the government, sources said, are not part of the council of ministers.

The BJP has issued a three-line whip to all party members in the Lok Sabha, directing them to be present in the House from August 7 to August 11, and it is holding a meeting of its Parliamentary party early morning Tuesday. The party’s strategy for the motion is likely to be discussed during the meeting.

Sources said that some of the key speakers that will take part in the no-trust motion are going to be from eastern India, to address the debates on the Manipur violence as well as to raise the issue of violence in West Bengal.

Congress’s deputy floor leader Gaurav Gogoi had filed the notice for a no-confidence motion on July 26, which was later accepted by the Speaker. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha in a meeting on Monday allotted 12 hours for the discussion.

This is the second no-confidence motion that the Modi government is facing. In July 2018, the government defeated a motion by 199 votes. The debate, which went on for 12 hours, saw (then) Congress president Rahul Gandhi walk across the well to hug PM Modi.