India Opposition Moves No-confidence Vote Against Government

NEW DELHI, July 26 (Bernama) -- India's opposition on Wednesday moved a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the ethnic conflict in the northeastern state of Manipur.

The speaker of parliament's lower house Lok Sabha, Om Birla, accepted the no-confidence motion from Congress party lawmaker Gaurav Gogoi.

A debate will take place on the motion before lawmakers vote on it.

Birla said he will inform the house at an appropriate time when the debate and vote would be held.

India's parliament has witnessed noisy scenes and adjournments for days as the opposition demanded a debate on the situation in Manipur, where the conflict between the majority Meitei community and tribal groups, including the Kukis and Nagas, has killed at least 130 people since May 3 and left 50,000 homeless.

The opposition motion is unlikely to pass as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and its allies command a strong majority of 331 in the 543-member chamber.

Theoretically, if the government loses the vote, it must resign.

The vote, however, will allow the opposition parties, which on July 18 formed a grand coalition known as the "Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance" (INDIA), to broadcast their voices to the masses on the Manipur issue.

With internet services shut in Manipur, the true extent of the violence there is a matter of a lot of speculation.

It has been reported that widespread arson, sexual violence and killings took place in May when the clashes broke out between the tribal and non-tribal groups.

The widespread outrage and international media coverage to a viral video last week showing two minority Kuki women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted by a mob put more spotlight on the remote region bordering Myanmar.

-- BERNAMA