India: Mr. Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, has won a no-confidence vote in parliament after a three-day debate. The Modi government was expected to win the vote as his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies have a majority.
This is the second time that Mr. Modi’s government has defeated a no-confidence motion since it came to power in 2014. The Indian PM criticised the vote as an attempt by opposition parties to “defame India.”
According to the opposition leaders, the vote was moved to force him to speak on the ethnic clashes in Manipur state.
More than 150 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced in Manipur since May 2023 due to the conflict between the majority Meitei group and the tribal Kuki minority.
Mr. Modi publicly addressed the violence weeks later, after a video that showed two women being paraded naked by a mob sparked widespread criticism.
The parliament session, which began on July 20, has been marked by protests from the opposition, which demanded that Mr. Modi address the house on the violence in the state.
Before the no-trust vote, the opposition walked out of the parliament after Mr. Modi failed to mention Manipur over an hour into his speech.
At the end of his two-hour speech, the PM said the federal and state governments were working together to bring back peace in the troubled state.
“I also want to tell the people of Manipur that the country is with you, and this house is with you. We will join hands and find a solution to this challenge together,” Mr. Modi stated. The PM further accused the opposition of using Manipur “for political games.”
“They have no faith in the people of India or in the abilities of India. They have tried in vain to break the self-confidence of Indians with this no-confidence vote,” the BJP leader added.
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