No-Confidence motion LIVE UPDATES; Modi government versus TDP

Today is the third day which will table the no-confidence motion against Narendra Modi’s government.

Three no-confidence motions against the Narendra Modi-led NDA government are expected to be taken up Tuesday after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the lower house Monday saying it was not in order. Notices for no-confidence motion were given by YSR Congress member Y V Subba Reddy and TDP MPs Thota Narasimham and Jayadev Galla. Both the parties have been demanding a special financial package for Andhra Pradesh. The motion is unlikely to upset the NDA, which has clear majority in the House.

The three motions are likely to be taken up after Question Hour in Lok Sabha if the Speaker finds the House to be in order. The Congress, Left Front, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the AIMIM have extended their support to the motion. AIADMK, which is also protesting against the Cauvery issue is yet to take a final call on its course of action.

READ ALSO: TDP’s ‘no-trust’ motion causes protests in Lok Sabha

Here are the LIVE UPDATES:

12:43 PM

YSR Congress Party MP YV Subba Reddy gives notice to include no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha’s list of business tomorrow.

YSRCP’s YV Subba Reddy writes to Lok Sabha Secretary General, gives notice to include no-confidence motion in the list of business for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ucxSyaE7Lq

— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2018

12:18 PM

Lok Sabha adjourned; no-trust motion not taken up

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumita Mahajan adjourns House for the day. “The country has never seen such a sorry state, this is not proper. You are insensitive for your own people,” she is quoted as saying by the agency. “House is not in order and so no-confidence motion cannot be moved.”

12:08 PM

Lok Sabha reconvenes

Sushma Swaraj addresses Lok Sabha on missing Indians in Iraq

11:26 AM

Rajya Sabha adjourned

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has adjourned the Upper House for the day.

11:17 AM

The Rajya Sabha is observing two minutes of silence as a mark of respect to the 39 Indians killed in Iraq by the Islamic State terror group. 

11:07 AM

Sushma Swaraj addresses Rajya Sabha

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addresses Rajya Sabha. She says the 39 Indians, who were abducted by the Islamic State in June 2014 in Iraq, have died. She says, “All the bodies were exhumed in Mosul – there were 39 of them and their DNAs were matched. Mortal remains were sent to Baghdad. For verification of bodies DNA samples of relatives were sent there, 4 state govts, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar were involved.”

She adds, “Yesterday we got information that DNA samples of 38 people have matched and DNA of the 39th person has matched 70 per cent. General VK Singh will go to Iraq to bring back mortal remains of Indians killed in Iraq. The plane carrying mortal remains will first go to Amritsar, then to Patna and then to Kolkata. I’d like to thank the Iraqi authorities who helped us out despite challenges.”

11:17 AM

The Rajya Sabha is observing two minutes of silence as a mark of respect to the 39 Indians killed in Iraq by the Islamic State terror group. 

11:07 AM

Sushma Swaraj addresses Rajya Sabha

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addresses Rajya Sabha. She says the 39 Indians in Iraq have died. They were abducted by the Islamic State three years ago. The government had earlier said they were lodged in a jail in Badush in northwest Mosul.

11:04 AM

Lok Sabha adjourned till noon

In hardly a few minutes, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourns House till 12 pm after chants of “we want justice”.

10:48 AM

AIADMK, TDP MPs resume protest

AIADMK and TDP members are protesting outside Parliament. While AIADMK MPs are demanding setting up of the Cauvery river management board, TDP is demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

10:40 AM

Opposition MPs to meet RS Chairman

Ahead of today’s session, Opposition members held a meeting and decided to meet Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu over disruptions in the House.

#WATCH: MPs of opposition parties held a meeting in Parliament premises, they have decided to meet #RajyaSabha Chairperson to state that they want to run the House and govt should reach out to the opposition for the same. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/brTJKRGAOu

— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2018

10:36 AM

If the TDP’s no-confidence motion is tabled in the Lok Sabha today, here are the parties likely to support it: Congress, CPI(M), TMC, NCP, and AIMIM. The AIADMK will decide once the motion is moved. BJP ally Shiv Sena, however, will abstain if it is put to vote.

The BJP, which has a comfortable majority in the House, is likely to remain unaffected by the motion. However, this will mark the first no-trust motion against the government.

10:33 AM

Will AIADMK support the no-trust motion?

AIADMK, which is the third largest party in the Lok Sabha, is yet to decide whether it will support TDP’s no-trust motion. TDP on Monday alleged BJP was “orchestrating” the drama in the House, by making AIADMK and Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) MPs enter the Well. The motions were not taken up on Monday after the Speaker found that the House was not in order.

10:19 AM

TDP MP Thota Narasimham says the party will give a no-confidence motion notice in the Lok Sabha today, and that members will also continue protesting in the House until their demands are met, reports the agency. 

READ ALSO: Will Shiv Sena back TDP’s ‘no-trust’ motion after this secret meeting?

9:51 AM

Will press for discussion on no-trust motion through the session: YSCRP’s Subba Reddy

YSR Congress MP YV Subba Reddy, who brought the no-trust motion, says, “We request the Speaker to allow our no-confidence motion. As long as the budget session continues we will press for discussion to take place on no-confidence motion. Ruckus has been happening in the House for past 15 days but the Finance Bill was passed,” reported a news agency.

9:49 AM

The Rajya Sabha was in session for only 10 minutes yesterday. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the House after parties from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu trooped into the Well, raising slogans and disrupting proceedings. No business was transacted. Naidu was heard repeatedly asking members to allow the House to function. “This is not in the interest of the country, this is not in the interest of Parliament,” he said.

9:42 AM

Naidu to MPs: ‘Get other parties to issue no-trust motions’

On Monday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the 11th consecutive day, after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan found the House was not in order. TDP leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in a late-night teleconference with MPs, asked them to get no-confidence motions issued by other parties as well. “Be alert and react according to their moves. Ensure that MPs of other parties also attend the House. Get no-trust motion notices issued by other parties as well,” He was quoted as saying by a press agency.

9:39 AM

Govt may opt for early adjournment of Budget session

BJP sources, meanwhile, said that in view of continuous disruptions, the government is likely to opt for early adjournment of Budget session. Senior party leaders indicated the session could be adjourned sine die this week. “What’s the point in continuing like this?” a BJP leader asked. 

9:37 AM

SAD to support Modi govt

BJP’s ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said the party supports granting of special category status to AP, but is not in favour of the no-confidence motion.

9:37 AM

Stalin asks AIADMK to support the motion

DMK leader Stalin asked the Tamil Nadu government to support the no-trust motion called by CM Naidu. “Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu to put pressure on Central government has gone for no-confidence motion for the welfare of their state. I ask this (Tamil Nadu) Government to support TDP’s no-confidence motion,” he was quoted by a leading news agency as saying.