India’s government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, easily passed a no-confidence vote.
The opposition went out in protest in a heated debate.
The vote on Thursday was called after widespread clashes between ethnic groups in the state of Manipur. Over 150 people have died in the conflicts that have been going on for several months.
The debate in the Indian Parliament lasted for three days. The tone was harsh and the expressions of protest numerous. Opposition politician Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, left parliament together with party colleagues in protest in connection with Thursday’s no-confidence vote.
Then Gandhi had accused Modi in strong terms:
– Modi’s government is about to burn down the whole country.
Modi hit back, saying the opposition “talks bad and then runs away, throws rubbish and runs away, spreads lies and runs away”.
Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have managed to secure a broad power base by referring to a kind of Indian nationalism with strong elements of Hinduism. The party has won landslide victories in two previous elections, and is expected to win in next year’s parliamentary elections as well.
Currently, the BJP has a wide majority in the Parliament with 543 members.