New Delhi: The no confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government was on Friday night decisively defeated after an acrimonious debate in the Lok Sabha that witnessed political gamesmanship with Rahul Gandhi hugging the prime minister who hit back saying he was in a hurry to unseat him and grab his chair.
A total of 325 MPs opposed while 126 MPs supported the no trust motion moved by the TDP, a former BJP ally, during the division after a marathon 12-hour debate.
A total of 451 MPs were present and voted in the House and the majority mark required in a House with an effective strength of 534 MPs came down to 226.
The victory of the BJP-led NDA government was not unexpected but the intense debate gave an opportunity to the leaders of rival parties to set the agenda for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The no trust motion was the first after Modi assumed office in May 2014 and less than a year before the next general elections.
“Arrogance is behind the no confidence motion,” Modi said in his reply and hit out at the Congress, saying this is not the floor test of the government but a “force” test of the main opposition party and its so-called allies.
Modi said only the 125 crore people of the country can decide who would sit in the prime minister’s chair or who can be unseated.
“What is the hurry,” Modi said, while referring to Gandhi’s hand gestures when he came across to PM’s chair and hugged him during the non-confidence motion debate.
Modi looked nonplussed initially and did not stand up, but recovered quickly and called Gandhi back and patted him on the back.
In another swipe at Gandhi’s apparent slip of tongue in saying that the prime minister could not see him eye-to-eye, Modi said, “You are a naamdaar (known by name) and I am kaamdar (known by work). I cannot dare see you eye-to-eye.”
The prime minister went on to list names of leaders like Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar and Pranab Mukherjee who he said tried to see eye-to-eye with the Congress and the result is known to everyone.
Referring to the Dokalam stand-off, he said, “When the whole country was united at the time of Dokalam, you (Gandhi) met the Chinese envoy.”
On Gandhi’s allegations on the Rafale aircraft deal, he said “we must abstain from making childish statements on sensitive issues.” He also termed the surgical strikes being described as ‘jumla strike’ an insult to the security forces.
Modi also hit out at Gandhi’s bhagidar (collaborator) remark, saying he is a chowkidar and a bhagidar, but not a saudagar (trader) or thekedar (contractor) like the Congress president. (PTI)
