'No-Trust Motion waiting, yet LS passes 3 Bills... in 30 minutes'

New Delhi: Even as national opposition parties brace for a no-holds barred battle with the BJP led NDA government on the Manipur imbroglio on which they have submitted a no-confidence motion, their hackles were further raised on Friday when the Lok Sabha passed three bills in a span of less than 30 minutes.

This happened even as opposition members raised slogans demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the Manipur violence in the House - something he has avoided from doing so till now.

They dubbed the hasty passage of the bills ‘unconstitutional’ at a time when the no-trust motion is pending for discussion.

The three bills that were introduced and passed are The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, and The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023.

When the House opened this morning, opposition MPs raised slogans demanding a statement from Modi.

They also argued that considering the notice for a noconfidence motion had already been accepted, no other business should be conducted till the motion is discussed.

Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that in May 1978, when a no-confidence motion was moved, a discussion was held “on the same day.”

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in response said that he will give a date for the discussion on the noconfidence motion and asked opposition members to allow the Question Hour to continue.

When the house reconvened at noon, Rajendra Agarwal took the Speaker’s chair and began the session’s proceedings as opposition members continued to raise slogans saying “pradhan mantri jawab do (prime minister, answer).”

While the Modi government has said that the Speaker will give a date for the no-confidence motion, the opposition has said that while a no-confidence motion has been accepted, no other legislative business should be conducted.

“No bill is introduced in Parliament after a no-confidence motion is accepted by the Lok Sabha Speaker, but we are seeing that several bills are introduced and passed,” AAP MP Raghav Chadha said. (PTI)