Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Modi government defeats no-trust motion

Prime minister calls Manipur violence ‘saddening' and assures peace will return to the state

Modi government defeats no-trust motion

INDIA’S government defeated a no-confidence motion in parliament on Thursday (10) after a fiery speech by prime minister Narendra Modi at the climax of a three-day debate.

Opposition lawmakers - who had brought the motion over months of ethnic violence in Manipur state - walked out of the chamber, prompting a furious rebuke from the prime minister, with the government then winning the vote.

The walkouts, according to broadcasters, included Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, who on Wednesday (9) said Modi's government was "set on burning the whole country".

Modi denounced them, saying: "Those who don't trust democracy are always ready to make a comment but don't have the patience to hear (the rebuttal)."

They would "speak ill and run away, throw garbage and run away, spread lies and run away", he added, to cheers from his own benches.

"This is their game and the country can't expect much from them."

The no-confidence vote was dismissed by the government ahead of the vote as a headline-grabbing gimmick ahead of a general election next year.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a large majority in the 543-member lower house, and is widely expected to win a third term in power.

Its muscular appeals to India's Hindu majority have proven a winning formula, and Modi has already steered it to two landslide victories over Gandhi and his Congress party.

"I can understand the Congress party's problem," Modi said Thursday. "They have been launching the same failed product again and again, but the launch fails every time."

'Peace in Manipur'

Gandhi, 53, is the son, grandson and great-grandson of three former Indian premiers.

He spearheaded the parliamentary attack on the government Wednesday, condemning what he said was Modi's inaction over the deadly Manipur violence.

In a speech to lawmakers, Gandhi had charged that Modi was "killing Mother India".

The opposition leader was restored to parliament on Monday (7) after the Supreme Court suspended his defamation conviction over past comments criticising Modi.

Gandhi had been sentenced to two years' imprisonment in March in a case that critics flagged as an effort to stifle political opposition in the world's largest democracy.

Modi's party has been repeatedly accused by political opponents and rights groups of fomenting religious divisions for electoral purposes.

At least 152 people have been killed in Manipur since May, according to government figures, after armed clashes broke out between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community.

The state has fractured on ethnic lines, with rival militias setting up blockades to keep out members of the opposing group.

On Thursday, Modi called the violence "saddening" and said that "there will be peace in Manipur in the coming times".

Tens of thousands of additional soldiers have been rushed from elsewhere to contain the violence, and a curfew and internet shutdown remain in force across Manipur.

Human Rights Watch has accused BJP-led state authorities in Manipur of facilitating the conflict with "divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism".

Modi faced a barrage of criticism from opponents for taking more than two months to speak about the conflict.

He broke his silence in July after the publication of a graphic video showing a baying mob parading two Kuki women naked, saying that the incident had filled his heart with "pain and anger".

(AFP)

More For You

Keir Starmer

Starmer thanked Christians for their community work, including support through night shelters, youth clubs, toddler groups, family services, elderly care and chaplaincy. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starmer thanks Christians for community work in Easter message

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer extended Easter wishes to Christians across the UK, marking the end of Lent and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In his Easter message, Starmer said the story of Easter is central to the Christian faith. He acknowledged Christians facing hardship, persecution or conflict globally who cannot celebrate freely.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump-Charles

Trump previously made a state visit to the UK in 2019 during his first term as president. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump says he expects to meet King Charles in September

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump said on Thursday he expects to meet King Charles in the UK in September. It would be an unprecedented second state visit for Trump, which the British government hopes will strengthen ties between the two countries.

Prime minister Keir Starmer delivered an invitation from King Charles to Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office in February. The meeting focused on tariffs and the situation in Ukraine.

Keep ReadingShow less
Blackburn with Darwen vows to tackle mental health taboos among Asians

Efforts are being made to improve mental health service uptake among Asians

Blackburn with Darwen vows to tackle mental health taboos among Asians

BLACKBURN with Darwen will spend an additional £1.17 million over the next five years on tackling mental health in the borough, with an emphasis on reaching young people and residents of south Asian heritage, writes Bill Jacobs.

The worse than national average figures were set out in a report to senior councillors. Council leader Phil Riley told the meeting last Thursday (10) that figures in the survey, especially for young people, were shocking.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK races to finalise trade deals with India and US amid Trump’s tariff turmoil

Nirmala Sitharaman with Rachel Reeves during her visit to London last Wednesday (9)

UK races to finalise trade deals with India and US amid Trump’s tariff turmoil

BRITAIN is eyeing imminent trade deals with India and the US as uncertainty over American president Donald Trump’s trade policies and his constant back-and-forth on tariffs continues to cast a cloud over markets and the global economic outlook.

Some stability has returned to markets after last week’s rollercoaster ride over Trump’s stop-start tariff announcements, but speculation over new levies on highend technology and pharmaceuticals has kept investors on edge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vances-Getty

Vance will be accompanied by his wife Usha, their children Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, and senior members of the US administration. (Photo: Getty Images)

Indian H-1B visa holders watch closely as JD Vance visits Delhi

US VICE PRESIDENT JD Vance’s upcoming visit to India, scheduled from April 21 to 24, comes as thousands of Indian H-1B visa holders in the US express growing concerns over immigration uncertainties.

Ashish Gupta, a software engineer working for Qualcomm in Michigan, recently cancelled a planned trip to Delhi. Although he holds a valid H-1B visa, he told The Times that he was advised by an immigration lawyer against travelling due to uncertainties under Donald Trump’s policies.

Keep ReadingShow less