No-Trust Vote: Scindia tears into Congress, says ‘name of shop changes, product remains same’

New Delhi: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday hit out at the Opposition bloc- I.N.D.I.A, saying that the coalition only cares about their “stature”, not the country.

Speaking on the no-confidence motion moved against the NDA government, Scindia said that the Opposition should apologise before the people of India over their remarks on PM Modi in the Parliament.

“It’s been 20 years that I am part of this Parliament, but I have never witnessed such a scene in the House. The words used by the Opposition for the PM, they should apologise not in the Parliament but, before the people of India for their remarks. They do not care about the dignity of the PM or the President. They only care about their stature,” Scindia said.

He further said that the same people sitting in Opposition were tight-lipped on the issues that happened earlier and now they are not letting the Parliament function for the past 17 days over their demand for a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Manipur.

“Today they are talking about maun vrat, I want to ask them why PM PV Narasimha Rao was silent when there was violence in Manipur in 1993. In 2011 too, when there was a clash in Manipur and the state faced blockades for more than 100 days, then why PM Manmohan Singh was silent in the Parliament? If this is not the politics of convenience, then what is it? Our PM spoke about Manipur outside the Parliament, but they want a discussion inside the Parliament. Home Minister has time and again said we are ready for discussion, but they did not let the Parliament function for the past 17 days.” the union minister said.

Meanwhile, the Opposition staged a walkout during Scindia’s speech. However, the minister took a jibe at the Opposition’s walkout from the House and said that they do not have confidence in their own no-confidence motion.

“The people of the country have shown them a way for exit, now they themselves are going outside the House. They do not have confidence in their own no-confidence motion,” he said.

Scindia also alleged that all the issues of the northeast were fueled by the Congress government.

“All the issues of the northeast have been fueled by the Congress government. They let the foreign countries incite this violence. The past nine years have been the most peaceful years in Manipur. The insurgency has been three times lower than when you (Congress) were in power,” he added.

The minister further said that the seven sisters were earlier seven neglected sisters while under the Modi government, northeastern states have been connected with other countries as well as the rest of the country.

The last two days of the motion witnessed a fierce battle between the ruling and the Opposition coalitions over the Manipur violence and other raging issues.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the motion today in the Lower House.

Congress while initiating the debate on the motion on Tuesday said that they were compelled to move the motion as they wanted the PM to speak in the Parliament over Manipur which is witnessing ethnic clashes for the past three months.