No-Trust Motion: Opposition Parties Highlighted the Unfulfilled Promises of BJP

On the third day of the monsoon session of 2018, the Lok Sabha took up the no-trust vote against the BJP-led government. The opposition parties have brought up various failures of the present regime and criticized the government’s polices as being “anti-people”.

MP Jayadev Galla from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) began the debate by talking about why his party moved the motion and how the people of Andhra Pradesh have lost confidence in the present regime. TDP contested the 2014 elections as an ally with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), only to break the alliance in early 2018 as the latter turned its back on its promise to impart Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.

After Galla, BJP MP Rakesh Singh made his speech in the debate claiming that the yojanas or schemes initiated by the BJP government have benefited the poor of this country. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed Congress President Rahul Gandhi to speak after Singh.

Gandhi named the political instrument of BJP as “jumla strike” and said that the youth, dalits, tribals, and women are the victims of it. Among the issues raised by Gandhi was the Rafale deal and the sudden surge in the price of each fighter plane compared to that of the deal made by UPA government, transfer of Rafale contract from HAL to Reliance, demonetisation, and foreign policy, focussing on theChina border dispute.

MPs from BJD and Shiv Sena walked out of the house before the debate on the trust vote began, signalling their anguish against the ruling regime. MPs from AIADMK have backed the central government in the debate.

MP Saugata Roy from TMC took on PM Modi claiming that, “cost of PM’s travelling expense amounted to Rs. 1800 crores” and added that 25 lakh jobs were wiped out due to demonetisation.

“BJP’s economic policy caused disaster in the country which only benefitted the saffron leaders,” Roy said.

B Vinod Kumar from TRS said that the BJP betrayed Telangana by passing an ordinance which removed seven mandals from the state’s Khammam district and demanded the government to implement the provisions of AP reorganization act.

SP MP Mulayam Singh Yadav, speaking in the debate, brought up various issues concerning mainly farmers, workers and businessmen. He pointed out that the BJP government has failed in fulfilling its promises of increasing farmers’ wages and bringing employment in the country.

CPI(M) MP Mohammad Salim asked, “what happened to the promises made in the BJP’s 2014 election manifesto?” He raised the issue of black money, which the Modi government had promised of bringing back, but which has increased in value in Swiss banks. He also called the declaration of Jio Institute as an Institute of Eminence nothing but the government’s policy of favouring a select few individuals in the country.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that his government will ensure maximum support for the development of Andhra Pradesh but reaffirmed that the SCS cannot be imparted to the state.

NCP MP Tariq Anwar, speaking in support of the no-confidence motion against the government claimed that the BJP’s promise “sab ka saat sab ka vikas” turned to be “sangh ka vikas”. Anwar asserted that the people of the country are unhappy with the regime and said that in the last four years, under PM Modi, people have lost faith in CBI, Judiciary, and other central institutions.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that PM Modi’s promise of giving farmers MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission during 2014 election rallies turned out to be a hollow promise.

On the issue of SCS to Andhra Pradesh, Kharge accused the government of following “divide and rule.” "We are supporting the TDP even if they don't support us," Kharge said.

The no-confidence motion is the 27th one in Indian parliament’s history. The last time the motion was moved was in 2003, against the then NDA government under PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.