Oppn no-trust move only to test its own unity: PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the Opposition brought the no-confidence motion against his government to test the confidence of its own alliance members in each other as the INDIA bloc is marked by distrust among its constituents.

In his address to the BJP MPs at a closed-door meeting of its parliamentary party, Modi described the Opposition alliance as ‘ghamandia’ (marked by arrogance) and congratulated party’s Rajya Sabha members for the “semi-final” win in voting on the Delhi services bill, some of those present inside said.

Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal quoted Modi as saying that the Opposition brought the no-confidence motion despite the fact that the government enjoyed a strong majority as its members wanted to see if they were united or not.

Even in the voting on the Delhi services bill in the Rajya Sabha, the government got more votes than expected as the debate showed that its bill was guided by the Constitution, the PM said.

Modi, sources said, noted that some Opposition members had described the voting in the Rajya Sabha as a semi-final before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as he exuded confidence about BJP’s prospects in the national elections.

The Delhi services bill secured parliamentary approval on Monday after the Rajya Sabha passed it with the support of 131 MPs while 102 of them voted against the legislation that will give the Centre control over bureaucracy in the national capital.

Exuding confidence about his return to power following next year’s general elections, Modi told the MPs that they will not have to push for railway ministry-related works during his third term after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made a presentation, indicating that the ongoing development projects will take care of their demands.

With the ruling party certain to defeat the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha, where it enjoys a strong majority, Modi told party MPs to hit “sixers” on the last ball before the 2024 polls.

He also referred to his 2018 speech in which he had wryly wished the Opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against his government in 2023.

In a swipe at the Opposition parties, the PM said their leaders speak of social justice but harmed it the most with their dynastic, appeasement and corrupt politics.