​Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted in the Lok Sabha that he had no hatred against the prime minister. 'You think I hate the prime minister, but I am grateful to BJP, Modi and RSS. They made me understand the meaning of Congress. They made me understand the meaning of 'Hindustani'. This Modi, and BJP-RSS has made me realise. You have made me understand the meaning of being a Hindu. I am 'Pappu' for you, but I have no hatred against you,' he said. After the speech Rahul walked to Modi and hugged him.

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"We will get new support. It will come from south, east and all directions," Kumar told reporters.

Top BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah, reached out to their allies as well as other parties with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar expressing confidence that the government will get support from "new" parties.

Lok Sabha has an effective strength of 534 and the BJP-led NDA has 312 members, while the majority mark is 268. The BJP is hopeful that regional parties like AIADMK, BJD, TRS — which have 37, 19 and 11 members respectively — will either support it or abstain from voting.

With numbers on its side, the BJP believes that the debate in Lok Sabha on Friday on the Opposition's no-confidence motion will be a virtual launch pad for its campaign for the general elections and may help it get support from parties outside the ruling NDA.

"Today is an important day in our Parliamentary democracy. I am sure my fellow MP colleagues will rise to the occasion and ensure a constructive, comprehensive and disruption free debate. We owe this to the people and the makers of our Constitution. India will be watching us closely," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet on Friday.

On Twitter, Congress leader Kapil Sibal listed out his reasons for having "no confidence" in the NDA government. "No confidence: In the government, in the rupee at an all time low of 69.05, in investigating agencies," he said. "People are waiting to vote for change in 2019".

Calling the the Modi government's mandate "suspicious", the Sena said, "The victory which has question marks written over it should not be praised by the majority."

In its mouthpiece Saamana , Shiv Sena listed out several issues it has with the BJP and accused it of practicing mobocracy. "We became the fifth largest economy in the world. Okay, but the fifth largest economy has not rescued our farmers from the door of death," it said. However, it said that the BJP will defeat the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha on Friday because it has the numbers.

​On Thursday, reports had claimed that the Shiv Sena will support the BJP during the no-trust vote on Friday. However, there are still speculations over Shiv Sena stand ahead of the discussions in Lok Sabha. To this, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut responded by saying that the party will end all speculations between 10.30 to 11 am (before the discussions begin in Lok Sabha).

Quoting sources, CNN-News18 reported that the Lok Sabha MPs from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi have decided to stage a walkout during the no-trust vote on Friday. This comes amid speculations in the political circles that party chief K Chandrashekar Rao wants to take a neutral stand.

No party had backed Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue when AIADMK lawmakers had stalled the Lok Sabha for nearly three weeks seeking the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC), he told reporters in Salem on Thursday. "You should understand. They (TDP) have moved the no-confidence motion for a problem concerning Andhra Pradesh. When AIADMK MPs from Tamil Nadu stalled Parliament (during the previous session), who did voice (support) for us, who came forward to solve the problems of Cauvery delta farmers?"

Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami has hinted his party AIADMK might not back the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government, saying the motion was moved by the TDP over an issue concerning Andhra Pradesh.

The Speaker named all Opposition members who had moved similar no-confidence motions and said TDP's Kesineni Srinivas would move his motion as his name had come up in the lottery. As the main mover of the motion, the TDP will initiate the debate on it in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

"Today’s no-confidence motion is a result of relentless agitation of TDP. Strongly voice the issues of 5 crore people of Andhra Pradesh, expose the opportunistic politics; who is with BJP and who isn’t will be exposed. ‘People First’ is our motto," CNN-News18 quoted TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu as saying.

Here is a rundown of the time allotted to each party in the Lok Sabha to speak during the no-confidence debate on Friday:

Union home minister Rajnath Singh, BJP MPs Rakesh Singh, Virendra Singh Mast and former chief whip Arjun Ram Meghwal will speak from the government on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha on Friday, reported ANI.

Eighteen Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena will abstain from voting on Friday. Speaking to India Today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the party will neither vote in favour of BJP nor vote against it.

The Parliamentary party meeting of the Shiv Sena is underway. Amit Desai, Arvind Sawant, Anant Geete and other MPs are present for the meeting, reported ANI . Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting with senior BJP leaders including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that the motion of no-confidence debate will begin now and the voting will be held at 6pm. "If the House agrees, we will skip lunch," she said. Mallikarjun Kharge raised concern over the allotment of 38 minutes to Congress. Meanwhile, the BJD staged a walkout.

"The saga of Andhra Pradesh during this Modi-Shah regime is a saga of empty promises. The no-confidence motion had been moved by the TDP for four reasons: Lack of trust, priority, unbiased approach towards Andhra Pradesh," he said. "Telangana is not a new state, Andhra Pradesh is."

TDP MP Jayadev Galla said, "Non implementation of an active Parliament is an issue. It is wrong to say that the issues of Andhra Pradesh are not a national issue. BJP waged a war on TDP. It is not a war between BJP and TDP; it is a war between majority and morality, between Modi regime and Andhra Pradesh. It is a dharmayudh."

​The ruling BJD in Odisha revealed its stand on the no-confidence motion against the NDA-led Centre on the floor of the Parliament. In the last 14 years, Odisha has witnessed both a NDA and a UPA regimes have done injustice to the people of Odisha, said the The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as he walked out of the House. With 19 MPs, BJD has the fifth largest number of members in the Lower House. BJD sources had earlier hinted at the party abstaining from voting in the Lok Sabha on the Opposition-sponsored no confidence motion in order to maintain its equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress.

Originally from Chittoor, Jay Galla, as he is popularly known, is the vice-chairman of Amara Raja Group and a member of 16th Lok Sabha of India representing from Guntur Lok Sabha constituency.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu expressed a desire for Jayadev Galla – the MP from Guntur — to open the debate in Lok Sabha on Friday, even though another MP Kesineni Srinivas originally moved the motion. The TDP has just 13 minutes allotted to take part in the debate.

The 52-year old is a businessman, an industrialist and has spent better part of his life in the US and as he said in the beginning talking about a Telugu movie portrayal of an NRI who was committed to serve his home. The other interesting part, which again would ever be cited as an example that the lead speaker who initiates the debate otherwise sets agenda for the day and broadly deliberates on national issues. But today’s first speaker’s concern was all about Andhra Pradesh, the alleged betrayal and comparison and contrast between Andhra and Telangana. Usually it is the ruling party which counters the speaker who initiates the debate but today the counter and challenge came from two regional rivals, TRS and YRS Congress Party.

The no-confidence motion as moved on Friday in Lok Sabha will go down in history for unusual reasons. Take opening minutes of initiation of debate on the motion. This would perhaps be for the first time that a first time MP Jayadev Galla from a regional party, TDP rose to initiate the debate. In terms of number TDP with 16 members is seventh largest party and got to initiate the debate because one of its MP K Srinivas was first of the eight leaders from different parties in Opposition to submit it notice to Speaker's office on opening day of Monsoon Session.

Galla's cinematic analogy Jayadev Galla of the Telugu Desam Party drew a cinematic analogy between the unfulfilled promises of the NDA government to the people of Andhra Pradesh and the Telugu movie Bharat Ane Nenu. The movie is about an Oxford graduate who gives up on his academic career abroad to return to India and reform politics after his father dies. “Trust is a recurring theme in the movie,” said Galla, adding that the saga of Andhra Pradesh under the Modi regime is that of empty promises and that Modi has betrayed the trust of the five crore people of Andhra Pradesh, an old state with a new name.

TDP MP Jayadev Galla said that the Centre has merely given 2 to 3 percent of the required funding for development of Andhra Pradesh after after the bifurcation. "Two statues in Gujarat and Maharashtra are getting more money than the entire capital city of Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati)," he said. "TDP waited for four long years, but no justice has been done."

To a question a seasoned leader would have said, he would try to finish soon, allow him some more time. After passage of about half-an-hour time through his speech, he cleanly told Speaker that he would need half an hour more and then saying that there was history that anyone who initiated debate didn’t take less than an hour. House doesn’t very often see a sharp exchange between the Speaker and member where latter prevails.

It would also perhaps be first occasion of its kind, the leader initiating the no-confidence motion debate is reading from a prepared text, which runs into multiple dozen pages, centered only on alleged discrimination of Andhra Pradesh and conflict between the state and the Centre. Jayadev Galla may be a first time MP (TDP) from Guntur parliamentary constituency in Andhra Pradesh, but he came prepared. He indulged in brief exchange with the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Majahan.

Jayadev Galla of the Telugu Desam Party informed the Lower House that while Andhra Pradesh pegged the revenue deficit for the year 2014-15 at Rs 16,078 crore, the NDA-led Centre cut it down to just over Rs 4,000 crore. He said the Centre had written that the newly formed state will be given only Rs 138 crore more and the need was for more than Rs 12,000 crore. The estimated cost of statue of Sardar Patel in Narmada district of Gujarat is more than Rs 3,000 crore. Statues are more expensive than entire capital cities, remarked Galla. The Centre stated that it had given Rs 1,500 crore for the construction of the capital city, which was a pittance compared to what is going into the construction of the statue. How can we build a capital (Amaravati) in Rs 1,500 crore, Galla questioned the Centre? The central government had given a paltry Rs 1,050 crore for the development of Rayalaseema against Rs. 23,500 crore sought by the state of Andhra Pradesh.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation bomb dropped in December 2016, Gandhi said that "an earthquake would come" if he was allowed to speak in Parliament. “The government is running away from debate. If they allow me to speak then you will see the sort of earthquake that will take place,” he said.

As Rahul Gandhi prepares to speak on behalf of the Congress in the no-confidence motion debate on Friday, BJP MPs and supporters are taking the opportunity to remind him of his "earthquake" statement in December 2016. Twitter is abound with memes and posts in anticipation of Rahul's speech, with the hashtag #BhookampAaneWalaHai trending.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman protested over the use of an "offensive" word by a TDP MP against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She asked Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to expunge the term, to will the Speaker said that she will consider the request.

The Madhya Pradesh BJP chief took a dig a Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, and said that was because of the Nehru-Gandhi family that Mallikarjun Kharge couldn't become chief ministerial face in Karnataka.

BJP MP Rakesh Singh, the first speaker from the BJP's side, targetted the Congress during his speech. "Congress did a politics of scams in 70 years, while the BJP brought schemes in the past 4 and a half years...Congress can’t accept any govt that is not run by a particular family. This no-confidence motion is nothing but an attempt to stop our victory march in 2019," he said.

He compared the governance during the UPA rule to that under Modi. "Manmohan Singh said minorities have the first right on country's resources. However, Modi gave new direction by saying that first right on country's resources is of the poor."

Praising the NDA government, BJP MP Rakesh Singh lashed out at those supporting the no-confidence motion. "This no-confidence motion is very different from all other floor tests till now. For the first time, there's a trust vote against a government which is working so well for the nation," he said. "I do not hesitate while saying that Congress provided a dirty government to the country, while under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership the country has got a clean government."

The word 'shraap’ (curse) was used by Jayadev Galla in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The TDP leader said that the prime minister is singing a different tune and the people of Andhra Pradesh are keenly listening to it and will give a befitting reply in the upcoming polls. He further said that should the people of Andhra Pradesh be cheated, the BJP will be decimated in Andhra Pradesh the same way Congress was. In that context, the TDP leader from Guntur said that this isn’t a threat, it’s a ‘shraap’. Speaking right after him, Rakesh Singh, BJP MP from Jabalpur, offered the rebuttal: "you became cursed when you stood with the Congress".

He criticised the Modi government for its initiatives. "The Congress introduced GST. The then chief minister of Gujarat (Modi) had opposed it. We wanted there to be one GST, one tax for the entire country and we wanted it to be implemented with minimum disruption. But you destroyed crores of lives... You cannot change the reality that you put hands into the pockets of the poor and took away their money."

​ "Who are the victims of the jumla strike? Farmers of the country, Dalits, tribals and the women of the country. Speaker madam, you said that 'prime minister' word should have meaning to itself. The first strike is the Rs 15 lakh in every bank account, the second is the 2 crore jobs promised for the youth. The reality is that four lakh youth received employment. The youth of the country believed in Narendra Modi," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking in Lok Sabha, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, "​Defence minister is sitting here. She first said that she will reveal details of the jet prices. After that, defence minister clearly said that she can't reveal the figures because there is a secrecy pact between the French and Indian government. I met the French prime minister that is there a pact, but he said that there is no such pact between the two countries."

"I think everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain business people. One of those people was given the Rafale contract. That person benefitted with thousands and thousands of crores. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore. He must answer if the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the Rafale deal," Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Friday. "Everybody understands and sees the amount of money which goes into the marketing of the Prime Minister of India. Modi says he is a chaukidaar(watchman) of the country. He is not a 'chaukidaar', but a 'bhagidaar' (stakeholder)."

Lashing out at the Narendra Modi government over issues like Rafale deal, farmer issues, and its policies, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said, "I can see him smiling. But there's a touch of nervousness in the gentleman and he is looking away from me. I can understand that. He cannot look me in the eyes, I can see that because the prime minister has not been truthful."

BIMARU is an acronym formed from the first letters of the names of the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It was coined by economic analyst Ashish Bose in the mid-1980s. BIMARU has a resemblance to Hindi word 'Bimar' which means sick. This was used to refer to the poor economic conditions within these states.

With an eye on the forthcoming Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, the state BJP president Rakesh Singh strongly pitches the achievements of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in last 14 years. Juxtaposing the state of economy, infrastructure and education prior to 2003 during Congress regime with 14-year long BJP rule, Rakesh Singh said it is due to the BJP government in the state, Madhya Pradesh could get rid of it 'BIMARU' tag.

Jumla # 1: Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in every person's account. Jumla # 2: Two crore employment every year. Jumla # 3: Modiji helping only 10 to 20 businessmen but ignoring poor people. In Modi's marketing team, businessmen are pumping in money. Jumla # 4: Idea of demonetisation was a failure. Modi is unaware of the fact that farmers and small traders go for cash transaction. Farmers and small traders use only in cash in their transactions. Jumla # 5: About Rafael deal — Defence minister told didn't reveal the details under pressure from the prime minister.

The jumlas of Narendra Modi govt, as listed by Rahul Gandhi in RS Congress president hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his 'jumla' weapon. It's the same weapon Rahul used during the Jan Aakrosh Rally in April in New Delhi.

Lok Sabha was adjourned till 1.45 pm after BJP created uproar over Rahul Gandhi's comments against the prime ministers and some ministers in the Cabinet. After the Lower House reconvened, the Congress chief said, "There is are reports in the international community that India is an unsafe country for women. It is for the first time that such India is getting a reputation for something like this," Rahul Gandhi said. In the country, there are crimes being committed against the Dalit, tribals, minorities, and women. Despite these atrocities, the prime minister maintains silence. On top of that, his ministers garlanded those accused of lynching."

He asserted that the two BJP leaders will face consequences of their actions. "The entire Opposition, and many of your allies will put the BJP out of power in 2019," he said.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah "cannot afford to lose power". "There are two different types of politicians. The prime minister and BJP president are different type of politicians. Whereas we are okay to lose power, for reasons that everybody knows here, the prime minister and BJP can simply not afford to lose power. Because the moment they lose power, other processes will starts against them," he siad.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted in the Lok Sabha that he had no hatred against the prime minister. "You think I hate the prime minister, but I am grateful to BJP, Modi and RSS. They made me understand the meaning of Congress. They made me understand the meaning of 'Hindustani'. This Modi, and BJP-RSS has made me realise. You have made me understand the meaning of being a Hindu. I am 'Pappu' for you, but I have no hatred against you," he said. After the speech Rahul walked to Modi and hugged him.

The lack of confidence in the BJP government is already visible as Shiv Sena, a BJP ally who also holds ministries in Union government, walked out instead of supporting the government, said AITC's Saugata Roy. He also mentioned the recent bypoll loses that the saffron party faced, saying, " Jahan Jahan chunav ho raha hai, BJP haar raha hai to no-confidence to aise hi ho gaya ( Wherever the elections are happening, the BJP is losing its seats. This in itself shows that people have lost confidence in the state)"

The debate in Lok Sabha over the no-confidence motion took a different turn when Congress president Rahul Gandhi approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi to embrace him. The gesture followed a 15-minute-long speech by Rahul specifically targetting the Modi government. After the hug, Rahul was seen winking at his fellow MPs.

The same speech with a little variations was presented at election rallies in Gujarat and Karnataka. The polish that should come in a Parliament debate is missing.

The disadvantage of not being a natural speaker shows through Congress president Rahul Gandhi's address in the Parliament. His speech in the House has a strong resemblance with his addresses in various rallies. It's almost a repetition to his earlier speech at Congress' Jan Aakrosh Rally in April at Ram Lila Maidan. It began with Jumla No 1, Jumla No 2, etc. and continued flooded with the same set of allegations.

Roy answered his own question saying the prime minister only spoke of a laughable idea that Durga Pujo is in threat if TMC stays, and he talked of Trinamool's Syndicate. "Prime minister kitna girayenge discourse ko. Vo discourse ko itna giraye, itna giraye ki bolne ke samay pandal bhi gar gaya. (How much will the PM lower the bar of political discourse. His Midnapore rally went so low that even the pandal fell," Roy said.

Roy said: "The prime minister recently held a rally in West Bengal, which was completely meaningless. He did not unveil any new schemes, nor did he speak about the state's development. What did he talk about?"

Speaking on the no-confidence motion, AITC's Saugata Roy said that the prime minister recently spoke of the TMC syndicate. I will tell you about the Modi syndicate, he said. "There is Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, and Bade (Big) Modi who are looting the government," Roy said which was met with loud disruptions from the Treasury benches. Roy shot back by saying that he has not named anybody and Modi is not an unparliamentary word yet, unless anybody wants it included in the list of expunged words.

Drama rides over debating skills: Rahul goes to Modi, bows in a gesture to seek his blessings. Modi calls him back and pats him with a smile. "Tathaastu" (be blessed). Probably Rahul wanted to convey the House that despite criticisms, he respects India's cultural values and ethos. The floor of the Parliament has provided a level-playing field both for the NDA and the Opposition block especially Congress. Now it depends on BJP and Congress, Modi and Rahul — how they use it effectively to their advantage.

There's no doubt that Rahul has emerged more aggressive and confident than in the past, but a good Parliament debate is all about erudition and dissemination of right kind of information. Even if we consider the speech by the regional leader Rakesh Singh, the BJP MP from Jabalpur, who's also president of the party in Madhya Pradesh — he presented his points with lot of clarity and data, besides allegations against Congress.

One may reason that the shouting brigade within the BJP didn't allow Rahul to speak and interrupted in every step. True. But that's the rule of the game in Parliament. No political party will allow its opponent to have a free run and listen to the Opposition leader like disciples listen to a religious or spiritual guru. Congress also caused disturbances and hooted when BJP MPs spoke in the past.

Badal responded by saying, "Ye sansad hai, ye Munna bhai ka pappi jhappi area nahin hai (This is the Parliament, not the place where people mimic Munnabhai's 'hug of magic' scene)".

SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal rose in protest of Rahul Gandhi's comments against her. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan questioned her opposition, and said, "What are you talking about? Were you not smiling?".

He alleged that the prime minister took 42 trips to 52 countries that cost the national coffers Rs 1800 crore and the outcome of these state visits is next to zero.

Saugata Roy targetted Modi for 'globetrotting' and mocked him for refering to former US president Barack Obama as his friend, adding that, 'PM ko pheriwaala jaisey ghoomnay ka zaroorat nai, Hindustan apne pairon pe khade ho to apne aap izzat hogi'.

Hitting out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for "propagating lies" in the Lower House, Union minister Smriti Irani said, "He had absolutely no proof but only political negative rhetoric and that itself has cost him in every election that he has fought."

Mulayam said that he cannot recall all the promises that the Modi government has failed to fulfill. He said that the government craft fully cut back all the subsidies and schemes given to the poor by the previous governments. Mulayam also said that the government failed to give basic amenities for the poor including employment, irrigation facilities and free healthcare.

Speaking on the no-confidence motion, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that those sitting in the government are weeping and claimed that the members of the ruling party were upset that they have made big promises to the people but now they can't go back and face the people.

Speaking to ANI outside parliament, SAD MP and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that she had asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kya kar ke aaye hain (in essence asking what is his dope) because he had once called Punjabis nashedis.

Reports said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi for misleading the Parliament and leveling 'false accusations' against Union ministers without substantial proof, BJP leader and Union Parliamentary Affairs minister Ananth Kumar told ANI .

CPM MP Mohammad Salim said that the ruling party claimed that the Congress party took the nation backwards during their rule. But the BJP is taking it further backward at the same pace just in a short period of four years. He said that the party was promoting the anti-national and secessionist forces just to ensure their own political interests.

Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour was childish. He has grown old but it is unfortunate that he has not grown up as a person. It is unfortunate that the president of Congress is so ill-informed and immature: Ananth Kumar, BJP leader and Union Parliamentary Affairs minister said.

Rajnath Singh recalled an incident when around 30 years ago a member in parliament had indicated towards LK Advani and AB Vajpayee to mock the BJP's strength of just two MPs at the time. He said that today so many Opposition parties had to gather together to even bring such a motion. Most of the states that have gone to poll have shown that they trust the BJP. So even after this, if the Opposition has brought the no-confidence motion then they are apparently failing to read the trust letter given by the people, Rajnath said.

BJP grew from just two members to majority govt by its own might, says Rajnath Singh

Mahajan said that she was not objecting to the hug and she would encourage cordial behaviour in House but the entire 'natak' was not suitable, especially the way Rahul ji winked afterwards.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that the behaviour displayed in the Parliament was against the decorum of the House. She said that the behaviour was not suitable for the House and the prime minister of the country shouldn't have been approached in such a way. To this, Leader of Congress party Mallikarjun Kharge objected asking what was wrong in hugging a political opponent.

Firing up the attack on Opposition unity, Rajnath Singh said that the Mahagathbandhan has come together only to oppose one man but the internal lack of trust is such that if someone starts a discussion on who will lead the front "tab samjho gayi bhain pani mein."

"Mob lynching incidents are very unfortunate and I asked state governments to make strictest of laws against it but I would like tell people who are raising these issues that the biggest case of mob lynching happened during 1984 Sikh genocide," Rajnath Singh said.

When some TDP MP's started raising slogans and disrupting the home minister's speech, Rajnath said, "Let me speak first, you can do as much sloganeering as you please once my speech is over. Everything is accepted in a democracy."

Rajnath Singh, in response to the questions raised by TDP, said that Chandrababu Naidu is still a friend and will always remain one. Most of the things under the AP Reorganization Act have been implemented, rest of it will also fall into place.

He said that the prime minister does not even trust his own MPs. The party had to issue a whip to get its MPs to vote in its favour.

Tariq Anwar, criticising the BJP, said that Rajnath Singh did not sound convincing in its speech because there is a weird condition inside the BJP. It has reduced to a one-man party and two-man show. Anwar said that the BJP no longer listens to its leaders or its allies, which is why nobody wants to back them.

Anwar said that Rajnath Singh's speech did not sound convincing enough and his remarks about mob lynching hinted that the lynch mobs, in fact, have a tacit support from the government of the day and the prime minister. "Why else would they shy away from taking concrete steps," Anwar said.

"Nischhal prem ki jadoo ki ek jhappi nafrat ki aandhi ko kaise rok sakti hai yeh RahulGandhi ji ne dikhaya. Akhir Rahul ji ne Congress ke mohabbat ka aina Modi ji ko dikha hi diya: (Today Rahul Gandhi showed to the world how a magical and loving hug can stop the winds of hatred. Rahul Gandhi has shown us. Rahul Gandhi has shown the loving face of Congress to Narendra Modi)," Surjewala told ANI .

The Opposition leader had called Modi’s relationship with Donald Trump a failed hugplomacy after the US President’s tweet on the US improving ties with Pakistan. A day after the Trump administration had proposed a plan to change US visa rules for H1-B visa holders in April 2018, Gandhi took a jibe at Modi. “New US Visa Rules, a huge setback for India. There are some things a hug can buy. For visas, you’re on your own. Foreign Policy by Narendra Modi, Foreword by Donald Trump’, he had said. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited India earlier this year, the Congress had tweeted ‘we look forward to more hugs from the PM’

In January 2018, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Modi's ‘hugplomacy’ accusing him of selectively embracing important folk and failing to address the causes of farmers, labourers and the youth of the country.

Today, in the Monsoon Session of the Lok Sabha that is discussing the no-confidence motion, Rahul Gandhi ended his speech (where he accused the prime minister for his selective silence on violence against Muslims and Dalits) by walking across to Modi and embracing him in a hug. Interpretations of the gesture has flooded the political narrative of the day, but the gesture (followed up with a wink) comes after a long spell of comments from Rahul criticizing Modi's hugging of foreign leaders.

According to reports, Prahlad Joshi of the BJP has moved a breach of privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi alleging that the Congress chief made 'unsubstantiated claims against BJP, particularly against the prime minister on Rafale deal."

Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the prime minister often hugs the heads of foreign countries so what was wrong about Gandhi hugging him in Parliament.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today came out in support of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha, saying in Parliament policies should be opposed, not individuals.

Commenting on the Congress president's speech, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "It was low on substance and high on entertainment value.

The BJP termed Rahul Gandhi's hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an "immature" act and said his speech during the no-confidence motion was "low on substance" and "high on entertainment".

Mallikarjun Kharge said, "BJP does not acknowledge the work Congress has done in all these years. It shouldn't lecture us."

Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal disapproved of Rahul Gandhi's surprise hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Congress president should know that he is speaking in Parliament and not acting in a film.

According to ANI , the French government has taken note of Rahul Gandhi's statement in the Parliament and issued a statement clarifying that India did sign a confidentiality agreement in 2008, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner. The French government further said: "These provisions naturally apply to the IGA concluded on 23 September 2016 on the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft and their weapons."

Speaking on the no-confidence motion debate, Kambhampati said that the Union government was willing to grant the difference in funds that the state was missing out because of not getting a special status tag. He said that for states that do enjoy the special status tag get 90% funds from Centre for central government schemes; other states have to foot 40% of the bill and receive only 60% help from Centre. The MP then went on to state that the Centre has already agreed to pay the difference the extra amount being spent by AP government.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti has said that the party will abstain from the no-trust vote. TRS floor leader in the Lok Sabha, AP Jithender Reddy, convened a meeting of all MPs and discussed with them about the no-confidence motion. The party has 11 MPs in the Lower House.

Chandumajra of SAD, an NDA partner, said that the party totally supports TDP's demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh because Punjab too has suffered from a similar ordeal. He, however, advised TDP that they must not trust the Congress. "I want to give you one advice. The people you are counting on for support are known to be backbiters," he said.

TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu in an impassioned speech rebutted the claims made by BJP MP Hari Babu Kambhampati. He said that the TDP does not enjoy fighting with the government but they are forced to resort to the no-confidence motion. He claimed that the promises made to the state were not fulfilled and the money released on record differed from what the government was claiming.

He also claimed that the MoS Defence also revealed the approximate price of each jet on 18.11.2016.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala takes to Twitter to attack BJP over the Rafale deal. Rejecting the clarification from the French government, Surjewala said: "Is it not true that Dassault Aviation in its 'Annual Report, 2016' has disclosed the price of 36 Rafales as 7.5 Billion Euros ie Rs 1670 Cr per aircraft? Why is Modi Govt then hiding the price?"

Vijay Kumar Hansdak claimed that the state government in BJP has failed to fulfil its promises in Jharkhand. He said that the state is such that middle schools are being shut and the government is opening liquor shops in its place.

"We have been waiting for so long for peace but we have not received any justice. The government said that stone-pelting will stop after demonetisation but the home minister knows that now grenades and even guns have come into play," Farooq Abdullah said. "People will not like what I say, but Kashmir will not see peace without including Pakistan in the peace process," Farooq said.

"Lynching was not only during 1984 Sikh riots, it was also seen in 2002. During Babri Masjid massacre as well. You may win today but the nation will show you the truth tomorrow, Owaisi said. He raised seven questions before the government including those on the development of minorities. He also claimed that the judge who diluted the SC/ST prevention act was made the chief of National Green Tribunal, and the government did not have the courage to promulgate and ordinance to undo the damage done to the law.

Prime Minister Modi started his speech by thanking the Speaker for her patience in running the House for long hours. He then asked the MPs to defeat the motion so that a democratically elected majority government, the first in 30 years, can function properly.

"Some people were asking that why was the motion even moved. But I think it has at least exposed the kind of opposition some people to have towards development. Today's debate showed how some people are surrounded by politics of negativity," Mosi said.

He also made a comeback on Rahul Gandhi's challenge to him for a 15-minute debate. He said that arrogance spoke when some people claimed that Modi cannot stand a debate for 15 minutes. "But here I am. I stand and with the list of work done by my government," Modi said.

"What we saw among members of the Opposition was sheer arrogance. The only thing they have to say was, remove Modi. Have some faith in the democracy, because in this House, nobody can unseat anyone. Only people elect their leaders," Modi said.

"In the morning, the voting was not over, the debate was also not over one member comes running to me saying- Utho Utho Utho..What is his hurry to come to power? Let me tell this member it is the people who elected us. That is how we have come here. To remove one Modi, see who all they are trying to bring together," Modi said.

"This is not a floor test for the government, it is a floor test for the Congress and its so-called friends and allies. No-confidence motion is a ruse to keep their flock together. The only aim is to remove a single person. At least trust your allies and friends just as much you distrust the government," Modi said.

He also claimed that his government gave soil health cards to 15 crore farmers. "Our Government has opened bank accounts for the poor. Earlier, the doors of the banks never opened for the poor. Women are leading a smoke-free life due to Ujjwala Yojana," Modi said.

"We have the honour of working towards electrification of 18,000 villages that were in the dark for 70 years.Most of these villages were situated in Eastern India and the Northeast. But no one thought about them because they didn't fit into the math of vote bank politics," Modi said.

"The fight against Black Money is going to continue. I know I have made many enemies due to this but it is fine," Modi said. He said that the government has brought the benami property bill that was stuck for several years. "Why was it stuck, who were they trying to save," Modi said.

The Congress party has no faith in the Election Commission of India, they lack trust in the judiciary, the CJI and the RBI. They don't believe in the international agencies. They have confidence in nothing. The entire nation has faith, but they don't trust. This is because they ;ack self-confidence," Modi said.

"Just because of one careless allegation in the House on Rafale deal, both the nations had to release statements. We should not indulge in such childish behaviour. For how long will these people continue being immature. And this is the case when they have enjoyed power for so long," Modi said.

"You called the surgical strike a Jumla Strike. You can abuse me as much as you want but stop insulting the jawans of India. I will not tolerate this insult to our forces," Modi said.

He said that whenever anyone tried to look them in the eye they have paid a price, be it Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, HD Deve Gowda, IK Gujral.

"A member said that I can't look them in the eye. He is right. He is a big naamdaar, while I am a backward caste man from a poor household. I am a simple kaamdaar. How can I dare to look them in the eye?," Modi said.

Naamdaar vs Kaamdar: Modi hits back at Rahul for saying PM can't look me in the eye

" I had read a statement in the morning. 'Who says we don't have the numbers.' Look at the arrogance. When in 1999 someone stood outside Rashtrapati Bhavan and said we have 272 and more joining, then we saw what happened. Atal ji's govt was destabalised and they never formed the government," Modi said.

"The Congress party has lost its touch from ground reality. They are cut off from their voter base. This is the reason they are being wiped off from state after state," Modi said.

"Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji created 3 states: Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. It was done peacefully. These states are prospering. The Congress divided Andhra Pradesh behind shut doors and their conduct then was shameful," Modi said.

He said that the TDP got stuck in the game plan laid by YRS Congress and they used the Parliament to settle regional political scores. "As the elections drew nearer. The praise changed into criticism," Modi said.

"I remember a statement made by a TDP MP who had said that the special package is better than special status. State chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had also thanked the finance minister. But they did a U-turn," Modi said.

CPIM leader Sitaram Yechury tweets: "Bizarre! For the first time in the history of no-confidence motions has the PM’s reply been so disconnected with reality. What he is saying has nothing to do with issues raised by the Opposition and his own allies."

He claimed that had the BJP not won in 2014, Congress would have somehow continued to run the government the way it was running it till then and ndia would have been in deep trouble.

"I want to tell you about the NPA problem. Much before Internet Banking, Congress Party invented phone banking and this caused the NPA mess. A phone call was sufficient to secure loans for their cronies and the nation suffered. To repay old new loans, new ones were issued. The web of NPAs was spread during this time," Modi said.

"Any incident of violence brings shame to the nation. I will once again urge the state governments to punish those who indulge in violence," Prime Minister Modi said. He, however, remained quiet on whether the government plans to bring a new legislation to curtail incidents of mob violence, as suggested by the Supreme Court.

The prime minister ended his speech by throwing a challenge to the Opposition in 2024 and said, “We will do everything for the people of the country. I once again ask them to bring another no-confidence motion in 2024.”

"I thought for one and a half hours I was watching a Bollywood blockbuster film. I have no doubt PM would have been the best actor in the world," Srinivas said. He added that BJP MP form Andhra Hari Babu Kambhampati accepted that both the Congress and BJP were responsible for the unscientific bifurcation of the state. "But what is your present government doing for us," Srinivas asked.

As TDP MP Kesineni Srinivas said that Prime Minister Modi was good in theatrics, Mahajan angrily interrupted that you are not replying in a factual manner, the House is out of time.

Mahajan tabled the motion for a voice vote first, after which she ruled that the Treasury benches have won the poll. Following this, the division vote was recorded with the help of automatic vote recording system. The Modi government sailed through the vote with 325 votes. The Opposition gathered 126 votes against the government.

Taking to Twitter, DMK working president MK Stalin attacked rival AIADMK for supporting the government. He said: "Support for Modi Govt in #NoConfidence despite NEET, 15th Finance Commission, GST, Hindi imposition and communal politics is further proof of the quid pro quo arrangement between AIADMK and BJP. I-T raids on Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswami's family have achieved their objective."

"Instead of replying on the questions raised by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and various other Opposition leaders, Narendra Modi speech his high on rhetoric and has very less substance in it, the Congress party said.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu says, "Disappointed with the proceedings in Parliament. Whole of Andhra was waiting for justice to be done. Prime Minister Modi again spoke as if Andhra Pradesh was not part of India."

"It is sad to see a man of the stature of the prime minister is talking irresponsibly. The Centre is showing negligence because we don’t have numbers," Naidu said.

Chandrababu Naidu said, "Instead of doing justice to Andhra Pradesh, the prime minister used the debate to politically attack me. He alleges that Opposition is arrogant. It is the prime minister who has arrogance."

Modi, in his speech, had said the Congress party had misused the no-confidence motions to spread instability in the country to ensure that the Gandhi family remains in power. When asked about how was the prime minister's speech while he was coming out of Parliament, Rahul said it was "weak". Sonia Gandhi told reporters that the prime minister's speech was "old rhetoric".

"It is not about majority, it is about morality. Morality won today. We wanted to showcase the failures of Modi and his government. You take unemployment, farmers distress, economic slowdown and more. He has failed on every aspect and lost trust of people of the country," K Srinivas told ANI outside Parliament

"We posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Rafale deal, Nirav Modi etc but he didn't answer any. His speech was 'dramebaazi.' He didn't say anything for people of Andhra Pradesh. He was telling us what previous governments have done and not what his government has done in foru years," Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Taking to Twitter, DMK working president MK Stalin attacked rival AIADMK for supporting the government. He said: "Support for Modi Govt in #NoConfidence despite NEET, 15th Finance Commission, GST, Hindi imposition and communal politics is further proof of the quid pro quo arrangement between AIADMK and BJP. I-T raids on Chief Minister Edapadi Palaniswami's family have achieved their objective."

"Instead of replying on the questions raised by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and various other Opposition leaders, Narendra Modi speech his high on rhetoric and has very less substance in it, the Congress party said.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu says, "Disappointed with the proceedings in Parliament. Whole of Andhra was waiting for justice to be done. Prime Minister Modi again spoke as if Andhra Pradesh was not part of India."

NDA has the confidence of the Lok Sabha and the 125 crore people of India. I thank all the parties that have supported us in the vote today. Our efforts to transform India and fulfil the dreams of our youth continue. Jai Hind!

"It is sad to see a man of the stature of the prime minister is talking irresponsibly. The Centre is showing negligence because we don’t have numbers," Naidu said.

Chandrababu Naidu said, "Instead of doing justice to Andhra Pradesh, the prime minister used the debate to politically attack me. He alleges that Opposition is arrogant. It is the prime minister who has arrogance."

Modi, in his speech, had said the Congress party had misused the no-confidence motions to spread instability in the country to ensure that the Gandhi family remains in power. When asked about how was the prime minister's speech while he was coming out of Parliament, Rahul said it was "weak". Sonia Gandhi told reporters that the prime minister's speech was "old rhetoric".

"It is not about majority, it is about morality. Morality won today. We wanted to showcase the failures of Modi and his government. You take unemployment, farmers distress, economic slowdown and more. He has failed on every aspect and lost trust of people of the country," K Srinivas told ANI outside Parliament

"We posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Rafale deal, Nirav Modi etc but he didn't answer any. His speech was 'dramebaazi.' He didn't say anything for people of Andhra Pradesh. He was telling us what previous governments have done and not what his government has done in foru years," Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Monsoon Session of Parliament LIVE updates: After a 12-hour-long session of the Lok Sabha, the Modi government defeated the no-confidence motion brought against it with a thumping majority. The government sailed through the voting with 325 votes in its favour, while the Opposition gathered support of 126 MPs.

"The Congress party has no faith in the Election Commission of India, they lack trust in the judiciary, the CJI and the RBI. They don't believe in the international agencies. They have confidence in nothing. The entire nation has faith, but they don't trust. This is because they ;ack self-confidence," Modi said.

Rahul Gandhi has reacted to France's statement on Rafale deal and said that the French government may deny it if they want but he stands by what he said. "Let them deny it if they want. He (French President) said that before me. I was there, Anand Sharma and Dr.Manmohan Singh were also present," Rahul said.

According to ANI, the French government has taken note of Rahul Gandhi's statement in the Parliament and issued a statement clarifying that India did sign a confidentiality agreement in 2008, which legally binds the two States to protect the classified information provided by the partner. The French government further said: "These provisions naturally apply to the IGA concluded on 23 September 2016 on the acquisition of 36 Rafale aircraft and their weapons."

Firing up the attack on Opposition unity, Rajnath Singh said that the Mahagathbandhan has come together only to oppose one man but the internal lack of trust is such that they can't even decide who will leave the front.

Reports said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi for misleading the Parliament and leveling 'false accusations' against Union ministers without substantial proof.

AITMC sharpened its attack against the Modi government in the Lok Sabha. Party MP Saugata Roy said that the prime minister's globe trotting cost India around Rs 18,000 crore while poor farmers continue to die. He called Modi a feriwala and a travelling salesman.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted in the Lok Sabha that he had no hatred against the prime minister. "You think I hate the prime minister, but I am grateful to BJP, Modi and RSS. They made me understand the meaning of Congress. They made me understand the meaning of 'Hindustani'. This Modi, and BJP-RSS has made me realise. You have made me understand the meaning of being a Hindu. I am 'Pappu' for you, but I have no hatred against you," he said. After the speech Rahul walked to Modi and hugged him.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, " Defence minister is sitting here. She first said that she will reveal details of the jet prices. After that, defence minister clearly said that she can't reveal the figures because there is a secrecy pact between the French and Indian government. I met the French prime minister that is there a pact, but he said that there is no such pact between the two countries."

BJP MP Rakesh Singh, the first speaker from the BJP's side, targetted the Congress during his speech. "Congress did a politics of scams in 70 years, while the BJP brought schemes in the past 4 and a half years... Congress can’t accept any govt that is not run by a particular family. This no-confidence motion is nothing but an attempt to stop our victory march to 2019," he said.

TDP MP Jayadev Galla was the first speaker during the debate on no-confidence motion. The no-confidence motion had been moved by the TDP for four reasons: Lack of trust, priority, unbiased approach towards Andhra Pradesh," he said. "Telangana is not a new state, Andhra Pradesh is," he said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that the motion of no-confidence debate will begin now and the voting will be held at 6pm. "If the House agrees, we will skip lunch," she said. Mallikarjun Kharge raised concern over the allotment of 38 minutes for Congress. Meanwhile, BJD MPs staged a walkout.

Eighteen Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena will abstain from voting on Friday. Speaking to India Today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the party will neither vote in favour of BJP nor vote against it.

According to reports, Lok Sabha MPs from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi have decided to stage a walkout during the no-trust vote on Friday. This comes amid speculations in the political circles that party chief K Chandrashekar Rao wants to take a neutral stand.

In its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena listed out several issues it has with the BJP and accused it of practicing mobocracy. "We became the fifth largest economy in the world. Okay, but the fifth largest economy has not rescued our farmers from the door of death," it said. However, it said that the BJP will defeat the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha on Friday because it has the numbers.

The Narendra Modi government is expected to sail through the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with all eyes on fence sitters such as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Biju Janata Dal and the day-long debate that is likely to set the agenda for the 2019 general elections.

Though the numbers are heavily stacked against the Opposition, the Congress and other parties indicated on Thursday that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of lynching.

The BJP, on the other hand, is seeking to expand the guaranteed support of 313 members after estranged ally Shiv Sena originally said it would back the government and look for support from regional parties like the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). It would try to weaken the anti-BJP front by eroding the support for the no-trust motion and deplete the Opposition numbers.

In a House of 534 MPs, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has 313 members including 274 (including the Speaker) of BJP, 18 of Shiv Sena, six of Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP and four from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The majority mark in the House is 268. There are 11 vacancies.

As the Opposition and the government geared up for the no-trust motion, the first in 15 years, Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami hinted his party AIADMK might not back the motion. The AIADMK has 37 MPs and its abstention during voting is also not being ruled out. The previous no-trust motion that was moved by the Congress against the Vajpayee government in 2003 was defeated.

The ruling BJD in Odisha said it will reveal its stand on the motion on the floor of the House on Friday. The BJD has 19 MPs. All the key parties including the BJP and the Congress have issued whips to ensure the presence of all its members in the House. The debate is scheduled to start at 11 am.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Wednesday said discussion on the no-confidence motion moved by BJP's former ally TDP and others will be held for the full day followed by voting on it. The BJP claimed it will comfortably sail through the no-confidence motion and that it is hopeful of getting support from several non-NDA parties.

"Government has the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one calculates by Indian mathematics... and I do not know which country's mathematics she is using to calculate the numbers," BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on the sidelines of an event, reacting to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim that the Opposition had the numbers.

Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar also took a dig at the Congress leader, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak." "We will get new support. It will be from the South, East and all other directions.

"The numbers are very clear. The BJP by itself has a majority in the lower House. We have nearly 314 members within the NDA and there are many other parties which are likely to oppose this no-confidence motion," BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

The Congress, however, said it is not only a question of numbers. "It is not only a question of numbers. The Opposition will raise various issues concerning the people of the country. Our campaign is to expose the government and tell the truth to the people," senior spokesperson of the Congress Anand Sharma told reporters.

He said the Congress and other Opposition parties will use the occasion to highlight the failures of the government and show them the mirror. "This is the launch of a campaign which will send them packing in 2019 Lok Sabha polls." The Congress had a strategy meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs presided by Sonia Gandhi during which it was decided to attack the government on farm distress among other issues during the debate.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will lead the charge for the Congress, according to the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech is likely to paint Congress and other Opposition parties as an "opportunistic alliance" with the sole aim of dislodging him from power.

Ahead of Assembly polls in four states due later this year and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders see the debate as an opportunity to reach out to the masses with various "successes" of the government and also to attack the "opportunist alliance" of Opposition parties. The Opposition parties have brought the motion against the government on several issues like special status to Andhra Pradesh, cow vigilantism, lynchings, atrocities against women and Dalits and alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.

According to projections by the BJP's floor managers, the government is also likely to get support from small parties outside the NDA such as Anbumani Ramadoss's PMK and Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Paksha. Abstention by some Opposition parties is also not being ruled out. The stated strength of the Opposition is 220, including 63 of the Congress-led UPA, 37 of AIADMK, 34 of Trinamool Congress (TMC), 19 of BJD, 16 of TDP and 11 of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

The Lok Sabha Speaker's decision to accept the motion moved by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and others came on the very first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Wednesday, a move that caught the Opposition by surprise.

With inputs from PTI