Was It The Self Confidence or No-Confidence Motion?

Highlits by Balbir Singh Soach

Posted By Zaheerul Hassan
1. Rahul Gandhi, President of the Congress cited ‘The Economist Magazine’ to say that India has become one of the dangerous places in the world for women. He said that gangrapes and atrocities against women have drastically increased, as have brutalities against Dalits, adivasis and minorities. “I want to ask the prime minister – are Dalits, adivasis and minorities not a part of India?
2. The Government defeats no-trust vote, PM Narendra Modi rightly says opposition lacks self-confidence; ET Bureau| Updated: Jul 21, 2018, 10.29 AM IST: THE ECONOMIC TIMES
3. And, the no-confidence vote against the Narendra Modi-led government was defeated. 325 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the government, while 126 voted against it.
4. “And when the motion was defeated, ruling party MPs simply got up and walked out: there was no cheering, just relief that the day-long debate was over”. THE HINDU
5. The Self Confidence or No-Confidence Motion, both were missing in the opposition in Parliament during debate on ‘No-Confidence Motion’ on July 20, 2018 due to discriminatory, unequal distribution, unfair dispensation of financial aid to the states by the central government of India and fear in India. Hence, the opposition unity is not visible in near future also in India.
6. Despite all this, “replying to the no-confidence motion against his government, Mr. Modi failed to deliver the speech that was intended to place the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s agenda front and centre for general elections barely a year away.
7. Instead, clearly angry, visibly distracted, his close to one hour thirty one minute and 15 seconds long diatribe was partly devoted to mocking Mr. Gandhi’s prime ministerial ambitions — describing his hug as an effort to grab the Prime Minister’s chair without winning an election — and the rest to by now tired statistics related to his government’s achievements”.
8. An impressive orator otherwise, Mr. Modi looked dispirited on Friday night, July 20, 2018 his speech dull, repetitive and uninspiring, reflected on the faces of his BJP colleagues, who sat unsmiling, thumping their desks mechanically, from time to time.
9. And when the motion was defeated, ruling party MPs simply got up and walked out: there was no cheering, just relief that the day-long debate was over as already said. THE HINDU
10. New Delhi: Transforming the no-confidence motion from a mere numbers game to a full-fledged politico-ideological fight, Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s policies.
11. He used the parliamentary exercise to heap one allegation after another at the government, accusing both the prime minister and his colleagues in the cabinet of being “untruthful” to the Indian public.
12. “PM Narendra Modi is known for his hugs, but this was one hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not expecting.
13. After no-holds barred and scathing criticism of Modi on several issues including Rafale jet deal today, Congress president Rahul Gandhi walked across the green-carpeted well of Lok Sabha to Modi and hugged him, a gesture which took the Treasury Bench members by surprise.
14. Gandhi’s unexpected gesture, which quickly became a favoured video clip for television channels, came during a debate on no-confidence motion moved by the TDP against the Modi government.
15. Gandhi’s speech was frequently disrupted and prompting Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House for 15 minutes. When he resumed his speech, Gandhi continued his attack. Just before wrapping up, he strode over to Modi for the now-famous hug.
16. Modi initially looked nonplussed-confused and did not stand up to hug him, but recovered quickly and called Gandhi back and patted him on the back. He also appeared to say a few words, which were inaudible. BJP MPs sitting behind Modi watched the brief interaction open-mouthed as the prime minister smiled at Gandhi as he walked back to his seat.
17. “This is what it means to be a Hindu,” Gandhi said after coming back to his seat amid applause from his party members, including his mother Sonia Gandhi and other leaders present who heartily thumped their desks.
18. Sharply criticised for his reported remarks that “Congress is a Muslim party”, Gandhi said, “Prime Minister Modi, BJP and …have taught me what it means to be a Congress person, the meaning of being a real Indian, and what it means to be a real Hindu. For this, I thank them.”

19. He also said his opponents may hate him, call him “Pappu” but he has no anger, hatred against the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
20. This is likely the first time that an opposition leader has hugged the Prime Minister in the house, especially during a no-confidence motion. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur stood up and took objection to Gandhi’s hug. Speaker Mahajan also gently reminded Gandhi that this was the country’s legislature and not a place for such gestures”. thehindubusinessline

21. “The Speaker, Sumitra Mahajan who had been seen grinning-‘smiling excitedly’ (Sonia Gandhi rightly told NDTV Speaker Mahajan was “very happy” with son Rahul’s performance and “I am happy the media is changing too”) throughout the Rahul Gandhi-PM Modi instant moment. but “Such conduct is against the rules of the House,” she said.
22. Sonia Gandhi rightly told NDTV she was “very happy” with son Rahul’s performance and “I am happy the media is changing too.” Lawmakers across the house cheered and thumped their desks wildly.

23. “What an astonishing performance by Rahul Gandhi. It was a game-changing speech, tearing apart the Govt’s claims & ending with that unscripted hug that has literally taken the BJP’s breath away.”

24. The hug takes its place in the montage that will be played in the run up to a series of state elections this year and the 2019 national polls. Friday’s debate was widely seen as the launch-pad for the government and opposition campaigns for the polls.”NDTV

25. “This is what it means to be a Hindu,” Gandhi said after coming back to his seat amid applause from his party members, including his mother Sonia Gandhi and other leaders present who heartily thumped their desks.

26. This is likely the first time that an opposition leader has hugged the Prime Minister in the house, especially during a no-confidence motion. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur stood up and took objection to Gandhi’s hug. Speaker Mahajan also gently reminded Gandhi that this was the country’s legislature and not a place for such gestures.

27. Mr. Gandhi’s speech frontally attacked the Prime Minister on a variety of issues — from the latter’s patronage of top industrial houses at the cost of small businessmen, farmers and workers, to questioning why the price of the Rafale trebled (a query that neither the government responded to, nor the French government clarified), to the allegations of corruption against BJP President Amit Shah and his son, Jay Shah, to the fact that though “some Indian is being murdered, beaten up or oppressed ( almost all the time), the Prime Minister does not say a word.”
28. He also hinted that Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah had a great deal to hide: “For reasons that everybody knows here, the Prime Minister and the president of the BJP can simply not afford to lose power. Because the moment they lose power, other processes will start against them.”
29. And then there was the use of the phrase “jumla strike,” a “21st-century political weapon,” a reference to the long list of unfulfilled promises made by the Modi government and its penchant for propaganda.
30. “You may call me Pappu, but I don’t hate you,” Rahul Gandhi said, looking directly at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then walking across to embrace him. It may not have been the “earthquake” he had promised once, but the Congress president’s jaw-dropping gesture during the no-confidence motion debate in parliament came close to it, many lawmakers said.
31. “In his sharpest attack on the Prime Minister, on subjects ranging from the Rafale deal to GST (Goods and Services Tax), demonetisation and foreign policy, Rahul Gandhi had said repeatedly: “You can’t look me in the eye.” The PM, sitting directly across, smiled. Then came the twist.
32. “You can abuse me, you can call me Pappu, but I don’t have a speck of hatred against you. I will take out this hatred out of you and turn it into love. I am the Congress,” said Mr Gandhi, making an astonishing reference to the pejorative rivals use for him.
33. “You taught me what it means to be a Hindustani, what it means to be a Hindu. It means to love somebody even if they attack you.”
34. He left his seat, strode across the floor and wrapped his arms awkwardly around the prime minister, who looked startled. Known for his bear-hugs for world leaders, PM Modi froze in his seat.
35. Rahul Gandhi ended his sharpest ever attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha with a hug As the Congress chief started walking away, the PM recovered and grabbed his sleeve. He was seen saying something into Mr Gandhi’s ear and patting him.
36. Back in his seat, the 47-year-old was seen winking at fellow Congress MPs. Perhaps not the best idea just after a “spontaneous” gesture. It was all a stunt, many instantly said.
37. “There is some decorum of the house. (PM Modi) was sitting in the prime minister’s seat. I did not like it,” responded. The hug takes its place in the montage that will be played in the run up to a series of state elections this year and the 2019 national polls. Friday’s debate was widely seen as the launch-pad for the government and opposition campaigns for the polls.”NDTV
38. “On Friday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proved he still had the numbers in the Lok Sabha. But, it was the Congress’s rookie President, Rahul Gandhi who stole the show. He set the tone — if not the agenda — for 2019, with an unequivocal message that love and tolerance, not hatred and lynchings, was the way forward for India, indeed, that there was no substitute for the Gandhian ideals of truth and non-violence.
39. Television viewers across the country were able to see for themselves that even eight hours after Mr. Gandhi ambushed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a warm — and completely unexpected — hug on the floor of Parliament, he had not quite recovered from what the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut described as a “jhatka” (shock), not a “jhappi” [hug].
40. What made it worse for Mr. Modi was that much of his speech had to be delivered through the steady tempo of the slogan, “We want justice, we want justice” that was being chanted by MPs of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) — the first sponsor of the no-confidence motion — which was demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
41. He also hinted that Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah had a great deal to hide: “For reasons that everybody knows here, the Prime Minister and the president of the BJP can simply not afford to lose power. Because the moment they lose power, other processes will start against them.”
42. “He started with the rhetorical Rs 15 lakhs in every account jibe and trivialized Indian Army’s ‘Surgical Strikes’ with his ‘Jumla Strike’ phrase, which probably his research team has coined for him, for this important debate”. New.18
43. Comment: The hug takes its place in the montage that will be played in the run up to a series of state elections this year and the 2019 national polls. Friday’s debate was widely seen as the launch-pad for the government and opposition campaigns for the polls.”NDTV
44. Minutes before he walked across to Mr. Modi, he said, “You may hate me, you may be angry at me; you may even call me pappu. You can hurl abuses at me but I do not have any anger or hate for you. I am Congress, and all of them (the Opposition) are the Congress. This feeling and the Congress have built this nation. And you should never forget that.”
45. For Mr. Gandhi, not the most articulate and effective speaker, it was an enormous achievement, and the platform provided by the Opposition-backed no-confidence motion was perfect.
46. What made it worse for Mr. Modi was that much of his speech had to be delivered through the steady tempo of the slogan, “We want justice, we want justice” that was being chanted by MPs of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) — the first sponsor of the no-confidence motion — which was demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
47. And then there was the use of the phrase “jumla strike,” a “21st-century political weapon,” a reference to the long list of unfulfilled promises made by the Modi government and its penchant for propaganda.”THE HINDU
48. “From Politics of Hate to Cronyism, Rahul Gandhi’s No Holds Barred Attack on Modi: With his assertive speech on the no-confidence motion, the Congress president used the parliamentary exercise to heap one allegation after another at the government. Congress president Rahul Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion initiated against the NDA in the monsoon session of parliament in New Delhi on July 20, 2018
49. New Delhi: Transforming the no-confidence motion from a mere numbers game to a full-fledged politico-ideological fight, Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s policies. He used the parliamentary exercise to heap one allegation after another at the government, accusing both the prime minister and his colleagues in the cabinet of being “untruthful” to the Indian public. He attacked the prime minister in one of his most aggressive speeches in parliament on primarily four counts.
Crony-Close friend capitalism:
50. When the earlier speaker, Rakesh Singh, from the treasury bench, spoke about multiple social sector schemes that had been introduced by the Modi government, Gandhi dismissed them saying that the government has done nothing concrete to help the poor and had instead relied on false promises – what he called a series of “jumla strikes”.
51. Instead, he said, the prime minister had protected the interests of big businesses. He went on to say, “Everybody knows about the amount of money that goes into the prime minister’s marketing. One of those people was given the Rafale (maintenance) airplane contract by taking away the deal from HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, a public sector unit). The businessman has a debt of Rs 35,000 crore and has not made a single plane in his life. Yet, he was given the Rafale deal.”
52. Gandhi was speaking in the context of the controversial Rafale deal, which the UPA-II had struck with France but had been re-negotiated by the NDA government allegedly at escalated prices. The maintenance contract, which had earlier been given to HAL through a technology transfer agreement, has now been given to Reliance Aerostructure, a joint venture between Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group and Dassault, the French company which manufactures the Rafale combat planes.
53. Gandhi’s clear implication was that crony capitalist practices under Modi government have received a big boost and that all talks of being pro-poor were“mere eyewash.”
54. “This government waived off Rs 2.5 lakh crore debts of around 20-25 richest people of India. But when lakhs of farmers request the prime minister with folded hands to give them some loan relief, it falls into deaf ears,” he said. “I looked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the eye, and he couldn’t even face me. He is not a chowkidaar, he is bhagidaar,” Gandhi said.
India’s financial crisis:
55. Gandhi then targeted the government for pushing India into a financial crisis. “The unemployment rate has hit a seven-year high under the government. Modiji had promised two crore jobs in one year. The situation, however, is far from that. Yeh hai pradhan mantri ke shabdon ka sach (This is the truth of the prime minister’s words). The Congress wanted to introduce one GST and include petroleum products in it. Modiji as the then chief minister of Gujarat had opposed it. And now as prime minister, he has brought in five different GSTs. He cannot feel the pain of small businessmen and shopkeepers whose businesses have taken a beating because of such policies. And now he has launched another jumla strike that of increasing MSPs for crops. One only needs to speak to a farmer what they feel about it.”
Foreign policy failures:
56. The Congress president said the government’s foreign policy lacked any agenda. Recalling an earlier jibe he had made against Modi, he once again said that the “suit-boot ki sarkar” and spent huge amounts for prime minister’s foreign visits but has until now only compromised Indian security. While Modi was welcoming China’s president in Gujarat, Chinese soldiers had occupied Indian Territory.
57. “Modiji went to China but did not have any agenda. He refused to speak about Doklam which the Chinese army had illegally occupied. A lot of our soldiers had to die because of this agenda-less foreign policy,” he said.
A conspicuous silence:
58. Gandhi further questioned the prime minister’s conspicuous silence in multiple instances where his party’s leaders and cabinet ministers were accused of deliberately disrupting social harmony. He cited The Economist to say that India has become one of the dangerous places in the world for women. He said that gangrapes and atrocities against women have drastically increased, as have brutalities against Dalits, adivasis and minorities. “I want to ask the prime minister – are Dalits, adivasis and minorities not a part of India?”
59. “Your ministers go and say in public that the BJP wants to change the constitution. Why were you silent then?” he asked, while referring to Ananth Hegde’s statement before the Karnataka assembly elections. He said that such statements and attacks on vulnerable groups is a direct assault on the constitution and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Politics of hatred:
60. Gandhi ended his speech by attacking Modi and Amit Shah, saying that the political duo were different from other politicians in India because unlike them, others could afford to lose power.
61. “The prime minister and Amit Shah cannot afford to lose power. If they lose, other processes will start to act against them. So they act out of fear. That fear generates anger. It is that anger that is getting transmitted across India (fear). And that is against our country’s pride. Today, I am saying that together, the whole opposition is going to defeat these forces in the next elections,” he said.
62. Many aspects of Gandhi’s speech laid down the Congress’s political plank before the 2019 general elections. He also thanked the Sangh parivar for reminding him what the Congress stood for, saying that it is the politics of hatred practiced by the BJP and RSS that helped him understand the “meaning of Hindustan” and the fact that the Congress stands for “love for all” irrespective of their identities.
63. “Congress believes in this Hindustan. I am Congress. Our whole party will adopt the task to bring out love in everyone, even in our opposition,” he said just before he walked towards the treasury benches to embrace Modi, an unprecedented moment in the history of no-confidence motions in the Indian parliament”. THE WIRE
64. “Highlights of PM Modi’s speech
► Despite the fact that the no-confidence motion started from TDP, a lot of people raised questions. A lot has been said so far: PM Modi
► It’s a good opportunity so I will get to say what we want. It’s also good to see the opposition against development. How politics has taken over some people: PM Modi
► Why is there a no-confidence? They don’t have the numbers
► Why were they trying to buy more time What was the rush?
► What is the hurry in becoming prime minister: PM asks Rahul Gandhi
► To stop one Modi, everyone is getting together. Not floor test but khoj test. Jinko yahan(PM’s seat in Lok Sabha) pahunchne ka utsah hai, utho utho utho. yahan na koi utha sakta hai na bitha sakta, sirf sava sau crore desh vaasi ye kar sakte hain: PM Modi in Lok Sabha
► In the morning, the voting was not over, the debate was also not over one member comes running to me saying- Utho Utho Utho..What is his hurry to come to power? Let me tell this member it is the people who elected us. That is how we have come here: PM Modi in Lok Sabha
► We have the honour of working towards electrification of 18,000 villages that were in the dark for 70 years. Most of these villages were situated in Eastern India and the Northeast: PM Modi in Lok Sabha
► Our Government has opened bank accounts for the poor. Earlier, the doors of the banks never opened for the poor. Women are leading a smoke-free life due to Ujjwala Yojana. Toilets have been constructed across India at a record pace: PM
► We are here because we have the blessings of 125 crore Indians. We are not here for selfish interests: PM
► The fight against Black Money is going to continue. I know I have made many enemies due to this but it is fine: PM
► Congress has no faith in the ECI, Judiciary, in the RBI, in the International Agencies. They have confidence in nothing: PM
► I hope you get so much strength that you bring another no-confidence motion in 2024
► One of the leaders spoke about Doklam. The same leader, who believed the Chinese Ambassador over our forces. What have we come to? Everything does not merit a childish conduct: PM
► Due to one careless allegation in the House on Rafale, both nations had to release statements
► My appeal to the Congress is please do not bring politics in national security: PM
► You called the surgical strike a Jumla Strike. You can abuse me as much as you want. Stop insulting the Jawans of India. I will not tolerate this insult to our armed forces: PM
► I read a statement- “who says we do not have the numbers. See her arrogance. I was reminded about 1999 the she stood outside Rashtrapati Bhavan and said- we have 272 and more are joining us. She destabilised Atal Ji’s Government and never formed one herself: PM takes a direct dig at UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi
► What did the Congress do to Charan Singh Ji, what did they do to Chandra Shekhar Ji, what did they do to Deve Gowda Ji, what did they do to IK Gujral Ji
► Two times the Congress was involved in buying votes with the power of notes: PM
► The entire nation saw what the eyes did today. It is clear in front of everyone: PM Modi on Rahul Gandhi’s wink
► Atal Ji created 3 states- Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. It was done peacefully. These states are prospering. The Congress divided Andhra Pradesh and their conduct then was shameful: PM
► NDA Government is committed towards the development of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: PM
► Just because of your internal politics with the YSRCP you are doing this, I had told the AP CM. I want to tell the people of Andhra Pradesh that we will keep working for them. We will do everything possible for the development of AP
► I want to tell you about the NPA problem. Much before Internet Banking, Congress Party invented Phone Banking and this caused the NPA mess. A phone call would get loans for their cronies and the nation suffered: PM
► This Government stands with the Muslim women in their quest for justice: PM
► Any instance of violence brings shame to the nation. I will once again urge the state governments to punish those who indulge in violence: PM
► India is seeing the record pace at which roads are being built, villages are being connected, i-ways are being built, railways development is happening: PM
► India is seeing the record pace at which roads are being built, villages are being connected, i-ways are being built, railways development is happening: PM
65. Highlights of Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s speech
► Those who talk about mob lynching, they should know that most numbers of mob lynching incidents have happened in 1984.
► After 15 years, a no-confidence motion has been moved against a government. We never moved a no-confidence motion in ten years when UPA was in power because we understood that the Congress had people’s mandate
► India is the fastest growing economy in the world. It is even acknowledged by international agencies. We have been climbing up in ease of doing business rankings under BJP’s rule
► Concerns were being raised regarding the economic situation in the country but the truth is that even international agencies have declared India as the fastest growing economy in the world. Opposition parties are unwilling to accept the fact that our Prime Minister has helped glorify our nation at the global platform” DNA
CONCLUSION: In the situation and in the absence of opposition unity ever, loss of ‘The Self Confidence or defeat of ‘No-Confidence Motion before numbers’ and the opposition without this much numbers in the Lok Sabha, voters may have to avoid further ‘Politics of Bloodshed as Usual in India’ and to vote to the powerful party and individuals whoever has the following like agenda under the circumstances, though it would never be called democracy in the world: