No Manipur for 90 minutes, spoke just after our walkout: Opposition slams PM

The Opposition slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response to the no-confidence motion in parliament saying that he did not speak on the Manipur violence for "90 minutes" and only touched the subject after they staged a walkout from the House.

MPs from the newly minted Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha during PM Modi’s reply to the motion of no confidence.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien, in a video message, said, "PM Modi conveniently skirted around the pressing issue of Manipur for the initial 90 minutes of his speech." However, when INDIA chose to stage a walkout, the Prime Minister's calculated response was swift, he added.

“I can tell you the positive – the teflon coating has gone, the sheen has vanished. PM Modi after your speech today, one is quite confident that INDIA: 'jitega Bharat',” Derek O'Brien said in a video message tweeted by his party.

The Prime Minister in his speech ripped into the Opposition, mainly the Congress, saying that "they are not worried about the hunger of the poor, but only worried about power".

He expressed confidence that his party would win in next year's general election and mocked the Opposition to come "better prepared" for another no-confidence motion in 2028.

His speech came amid calls by Opposition for his statement on the Manipur ethnic violence that has claimed over 150 lives. The Opposition had moved the no-confidence motion demanding a statement from the Prime Minister on the situation in Manipur.

Speaking about Manipur, PM Modi said, "The entire country is with Manipur and the Centre and state governments are working together to restore peace in the state."

"PM Modi has absconded from Rajya Sabha for the full Parliament Monsoon Session 2023. In Lok Sabha, he spoke on Manipur for four minutes, after being compelled by No Confidence Motion from Team INDIA. Since Independence, no PM has insulted Parliament more than Modi," Derek O'Brien said.

The Congress hit out at PM Modi, saying he was gripped with "Congress-phobia" and that is why he criticised the party throughout his speech in the Lok Sabha. Party MP Gaurav Gogoi said the Prime Minister spoke for over two hours, during which he criticised the grand old party for most of the time instead of speaking on Manipur.

Reacting sharply to PM Modi's speech, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused PM Modi of using the debate as an "election rally". "Had you given up your stubbornness and arrogance earlier, the valuable time of Parliament could have been saved," the Congress veteran said.

"The Prime Minister failed to talk about Manipur. He did not take any responsibility for the failure of his chief minister," Gaurav Gogoi said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took potshots at the BJP and posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which some BJP MPs were seen taking a nap during the PM's speech. "Give such a boring speech that your own MPs fall asleep," the caption read.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party, TMC, also attacked PM Modi for allocating "one-minute" time for Manipur.

"This was not expected from PM Modi. His speech had jokes and jibes. People of Manipur expected him to heal their wounds and share their pain but he failed to do so," RJD MP Manoj Jha told news agency ANI.