PM Modi's reply to the motion lasted 90 minutes.

Treasury benches shout 'Modi, Modi' in Parliament.

JUST IN: Delhi high court sets aside Jawaharlal Nehru University's order imposing penalty on Kanhaiya Kumar's in connection with a 2016 incident.  -- PTI

Lok Sabha was adjourned for 10 minutes. To resume at 4.30 pm.

Rajnath Singh speaking in Parliament. He says the BJP never felt the need for a no-trust vote when the UPA was in power, never felt the need to topple the government. "We accepted the fact that the UPA was in power. A no-trust vote has been moved today after 15 years. Now, the opposition knows the vote will fail, but we still accepted the motion.

Rafale allegations by Rahul are baseless, Rajnath said.

The BJP is not amused at Rahul's hug speech.

Ananth Kumar, BJP leader and Union Affairs minister said, "His behaviour was childish. He has grown old but it is unfortunate that he has not grown up. It is unfortunate that the president of Congress is so ill-informed and immature."

The quality of discourse by our MPs: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal says,"I asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kaunsa karke aaye hai? Because he had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'."

The quality of discourse by our MPs: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal says,"I asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kaunsa karke aaye hai? Because he had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'."

BJP to move privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over his 'false allegations'.
 
Sonia Gandhi said she was very happy with Rahul's speech in Parliament.

@INCIndia tweets in response to the defence minister's defence that in an interview to a media house in India that French president Emmanuel Macron had said secrecy should be maintained in the Rafale deal because competitors should not know the price.


"Dear @nsitharaman, here is a news item where the French President @EmmanuelMacron says that the Modi Govt can share details of Rafale deal with the Opposition. You have a flair for lying, we don't."

Here's the India Today interview.


In parliament today, Rahul said the defence minister has spoken an 'untruth'.

"The French prime minister has personally told me that there is no secret pact between the Indian and the French governments," he said
demanding that the Prime Minister must answer why this contract was given to a particular businessman after taking it away from the Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd.


"Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract.. The gentleman
benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore," he alleged

SP's Mulayam Singh Yadav speaking in Parliament now. He is leading SP's charge for the no-confidence motion. "Everyone is distressed in Modi govt's regime. PM Modi made many promises but did not deliver. Farmer woes, unemployment, water crisis are real issues," Mulayam says.

If the earth beneath your feet is shaking it's because BJP MP Paresh Rawal's prophecy.

Before no-trust debate began, Rawal had said that if Rahul Gandhi could speak with notes, without fumbling, without errors for 15 minutes, the earth would not just shake, it would dance.

The Congress president managed all three and with the hug and wink, the earth sure is dancing.

Rahul not only rattled the treasury benches, he also seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself.

BJP has dismissed Rahul's speech as mere optics without substance. 

The wink that will launch a million memes. Rahul Gandhi after hugging PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha.

But his speech was far from wink-wink-nudge-nudge. The Congress president went for the jugular all through his speech.

Known for his hugs but this was one Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not expecting.


After a no-holds barred and scathing criticism of Modi on several issues including Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi walked across to the Prime Minister and hugged him, a gesture which took the Lok Sabha members by surprise.


Modi, who initially looked nonplussed and did not stand up to hug him, recovered quickly and called Gandhi back and patted him on the back.


"This is what it means to be a Hindu," Gandhi said after coming back to his seat amid a big applause from his party members, including his mother Sonia Gandhi and other leaders present.


Sharply criticised for his reported remarks that "Congress is a Muslim party", Rahul Gandhi said, "Prime Minister Modi, BJP and ...have taught me what it means to be a Congress person, the meaning of being a real Indian, and what it means to be a real Hindu. For this, I thank them."


He also said his opponents may hate him, call him "Pappu" but he has no anger, hatred against the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

AIADMK's Dr Venugoplan speaking now.


Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan tells SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal: "Aap to muskura rahi theen' when she stands up to speak saying allegations were made against her during Rahul Gandhi's speech'. Badal says, "Ye sansad hai, ye Munna bhai ka pappi jhappi area nahin hai."

Niramala Sitharaman reacts to Rahul Gandhi's charge that she was being untruthful by saying the details of the Rafale deal cannot be revealed. Sitharaman said a secrecy agreement with France was signed in 2008 and Rafale deal was also covered in it. She said French president Emmanuel Macron backed the privacy clause and quoted a report in the Indian media on an interview with Macron.  

Read the interview with India Today here.

Rahul: PM and BJP president are very different type of politicians. They simply can't afford lose power. If they do, other processes will start against them. They feel anger. It is this anger they feel that is attempting to silence every voice in India.


During the adjournment break, not only opposition MPs but also your  (NDA) MPs congratulated me and said you spoke very well. You think I have anger against the PM. I am grateful to the BJP, RSS that they made me understand the meaning of the Congress, the meaning of being Indian. I don't have any anger or hate against the PM. It is this feeling that makes us Congress, makes us Indian.


"Aap logon ke andar mere liye nafrat hai, aap mujhe Pappu aur bohot gaaliyan dekar bula sakte hain, lekin mere andar aapke liye nafrat nahi hai,"  Rahul said.


He then walks up to PM Modi and gives him a hug.The PM reciprocates with a handshake. This is a first in the history of Indian parliament. 

House back in session after a brief adjournment.

MSP: MSP is also a 'jumla strike'. Kisano ko bhi sirf jumle se lubhaya ja raha hai. Rahul says the MSP announced by the PM was another jumla as a single state -- Karnataka -- has announced a far higher MSP.


Women: Rahul quotes the Reuters report on India being the most unsafe country for women and said never in the history of India have we ever been given such a tag.


Lynching:  PM has not said a word against lynching, but his minister has gone and garlanded the accused. PM is mum on atrocities on minorities.


Constitution: Your minister has made statements that the Constitution will be changed. No one will tolerate it, but the PM is silent on it.

PM Narendra Modi laughs after Rahul Gandhi says 'Pradhanmantri apni aankh meri aankh mein nahi daal sakte' #NoConfidenceMotion


This is what Rahul 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 into my eyes, I can see that because the Prime Minister has not been truthful.

The other attack was on Nirmala Sitharaman: Rahul said, "Defence Minister said there is secrecy pact with France on Rafale deal. I personally met President of France and asked him if any such pact existed, he clearly said there is no pact." He said Sitharaman was not speaking the truth either.  

BJP says Rahul Gandhi is violating the rules of debate by making unsubstantiated statements. The Speaker asks all MPs including Rahul to make factual statements without calling names.


On Doklam: When PM Modi was sitting on a swing with the Chinese President, Chinese troops entered Doklam.  The PM went to China and met Xi without an agenda and said Doklam would not be discussed.


"China deceived us and entered Doklam at the time.  The Indian army stood against China when the PM couldn't," Rahul said. 

The house has been adjourned after the BJP created a ruckus at Rahul insinuations of connections with the PM and business houses.

Rahul Gandhi names Amit Shah's son, BJP MPs rise in protest. Speaker says it will be expunged.


On unemployment, Rahul says China gives jobs to 50,000 youths in 24 hours, you (the government) give jobs to 400 people in 24 hours.

Speaking about the Rafale deal, he says defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has lied to the country. He said PM went to France and the cost of the Rafale deal went up.

Sitharaman raises an objection, but the Speaker says he is allowed to take the name of MPs or people present in Parliament. Speaker says since the defence minister has been named several times, she will be allowed to speak after Rahul.


Attacking the PM on unemployment, Rahul makes a jibe at PM's statement that people could make pakodas. "Jahan jaate hain wahan rozgaar ki baat karte hain. Kabhi kehte hain pakode banao, kabhi dukaan kholo."


"Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into marketing the PM and everyone knows where it comes from. One of those people has benefited to the tune of Rs 45,000 crores by the Rafale deal. The PM must answer if the cabinet committee for security has taken this decision and explain why the businessman was favoured who has never ever built an aeroplane and a has a debt burden of Rs 35,000 crore," Rahul said. 


Rahul said the PM was smiling but it was clear that was nervous and couldn't look him in the eyes. PM is not a chowkidaar, PM is a bhaagidar, he says.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi speaking during the #NoConfidenceMotion debate in the Lok Sabha.

Addressing TDP MP Jayadev Galla said he is a political weapon. The weapon, Gandhi, says is called jumla strike.

Listing the jumlas (fake promises) he said, these include Rs 15 lakh in every bank account and 2 crore jobs for the youth. He has asked people to make pakodas instead.

He said currently unemployment is at seven-year high. The PM did not realise that cashless transactions and demonetisation hits farmers and the poor the hardest. PM destroyed the lives of crores with demo and GST. He doesn't understand the problems of the people.

PM only travels abroad. The PM's pic is used in Jio ads which is a proof that he works for only these 10-15 businessmen.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi speaking in Parliament now.

Slamming the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, which faces a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha today, its ally Shiv Sena said that those ruling the country are "butchers, who save animals but kill humans".


In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena doubted the mandate with which the Modi government came to power, alleging elections were won through money, misuse of power and tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs).


"Those ruling the country today are butchers, who save animals but kill humans. There is absolute lack of compassion(in the minds of the rulers)... Winning elections and remaining in power by hook or crook is not democracy. Majority is never permanent. Country's people are supreme," it said.


The Sena, which is in alliance with the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said even the Opposition knows that it does not have the numbers to dislodge this government.


"This no-confidence motion has not been brought to pull down the Modi government, but to give it a sound thrashing," it said. "Winning majority no longer means it is peoples' mandate. It has now become a tool to indulge in dictatorship. In order to seek votes, big promises are made. They play with the sentiments of the people for political gains. But the election jumlas (rhetoric) never become a reality," it said.


The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said the mandate with which this government came to power is doubtful. "When there is a question mark on one's win, one should not talk about majority."


"Since the elections are being won only through the use of money, misuse of power and tampering of EVMs, democracy has become a mere scarecrow and the entire fight is now for saving this scarecrow," it added. Although the government is patting its back for accepting the no-confidence motion, it had no choice as it could have otherwise led to the washout of the Monsoon session, it claimed. Stating that the Telugu Desam Party, which moved the no-trust motion was once a part of the NDA and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti, who spearheaded the milk agitation in Maharashtra, was also an ally, the Sena asked the government to "introspect" why they quit the alliance.


"After 25 years of alliance, you (BJP) mistrusted us for your ego. But ultimately the ego was crushed after you faced repeated losses in the by-polls in the country," it said, adding that the BJP has launched efforts to forge an alliance. The Sena said people have been stabbed in the back on issues ranging from Kashmir to "achhe din", from reducing inflation to scrapping the Nanar refinery project in Maharashtra. The promise of "achhe din" was a hit election campaign plank of the BJP ahead of the 2014 general elections. -- PTI

BJP's Rakesh Singh in Parliament said it was a a shame the Opposition moved the no-confidence motion. Attacking the Congress, he said it works for one family.

"Congress gave tainted governments to India. it paid no attention to women.  Manmohan Singh said minorities have the first right on country's resources. However, PM Modi gave new direction by saying that first right on country's resources is of the poor," he said.

Most of his speech is a checklist of the government's achievements.  

Here's what the AIADMK had to say: V Maitreyan, AIADMK MP: The #NoConfidenceMotion is spearheaded by Congress and DMK, so no way will AIADMK support it.

Rahul Gandhi up next.

Paresh Rawal, BJP MP mocks the Congress president. "Agar aaj Rahulji bina padhe, bina fumble kare, bina galti kare 15 minute bolenge toh dharti zaroor hilegi, hilegi bhi kya, naachegi."


In December 2016, a month after the Modi government demonetised high value currency notes, Rahul Gandhi warned of an earthquake if he were allowed to speak.

The government is running away from debateif they allow me to speak then you will see what an earthquake will come, Gandhi, then the Congress vice- president, had said.

Nirmala Sitharaman asks the Speaker to expunge the word musagadu in Telugu, which means 'cheater' used in reference to the PM, by Galla. She said it is not acceptable to use such words for the PM.

Speaker says if the word has been used it will be expunged.

Galla concludes his speech after the Speaker asks him several times.

BJP's Rakesh Singh now speaking.

It may be recalled that the BJP when in Opposition had called the then PM Dr Manmohan Singh 'chor' in Parliament in 2013.

Hurt over being targeted by BJP, Singh had asked the Chair, "Have you heard of any country where the Prime Minister is not allowed to introduce his council of ministers... Have you heard of Parliament in any country where the opposition shouts 'Prime Minister chor hai'. The type of things that have been said here...."  

Jayadev Galla, TDP in Lok Sabha, is still speaking. He has asked the Speaker for 30 minutes more.

"Mr Modi while campaigning in Andhra Pradesh had said 'Congress killed the mother & saved the child. Had I have been there, I would have saved the mother too'. People of AP have waited for four long years for him to save their mother.

"You're (PM) singing a different tune which people of AP are keenly observing & they would give a befitting reply in coming polls. BJP will be decimated in AP the way Congress was if people of AP are cheated. Mr PM, it's not a threat, it's a 'shraap'.


"Statues are getting more funding than the entire capital city of Andhra Pradesh. Is it wrong on the people of Andhra Pradesh to demand a better capital. The PM in front of Lord Balaji has promised that AP would get a better capital than Delhi. You have just given us Rs 1500 crore, the statue of Shivaji has got Rs 3000 crore. How is it enough?"

Speaker asks him to wrap up, since 30 minutes he'd asked for, is over.

Anandrao Adsul, Lok Sabha MP from Shiv Sena on being asked whether his party will take part in #NoConfidenceMotion debate and voting says, 'We are boycotting parliamentary work today and haven't even signed our attendance."

Here's what Wiki has on the TDP MP with an Yankee accent, Jayadev Galla.Galla is the managing director of Amara Raja Group and is rated as one of the best CEOs in the country. He represents Guntur in the Lok Sabha constituency.ay married Padmavathi Ghattamaneni, daughter of prominent Telugu film actor Krishna on 26 June 1991. One of the wealthiest politicians in India, Galla declared assets of 683 crore in the 2014 general elections. His brother-in-law is Telugu actor Mahesh Babu.

It's now confirmed that the Shiv Sena MPs will not attend Lok Sabha today. The Sena with 18 MPs has decided to abstain. 

Jayadev Galla, TDP MP in Lok Sabha on Andhra Pradesh's litany of woes.  "The saga of Andhra Pradesh during this Modi-Shah regime is a saga of empty promises," he says.  TDP has been given 13 minutes to speak. Galla, fi you've just joined us, is initiating the discussion on the no-trust vote.

TRS MPs try to disrupt his speech.

19 BJD MPs walking out of Parliament. 

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan takes up the no-confidence motion to be discussed house. The voting will take place at 6 pm, the house may skip lunch.

Mallikarjuna Kharge, leader of the opposition in the lower house, says it is not possible to bring up all the issues against the government in the time allotted.

Meanwhile, the BJD has decided to walk out saying the issues being discussed have no relevance to Odisha. The PM can't stop laughing.


TDP MP Jayadev Galla moves the no-trust motion in parliament.


Sushma Swaraj sitting next to her former mentor LK Advani.


Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia speaking in Parliament.

Water-logging outside Parliament House, as the session begins.

All the PM's men: BJP MPs pose outside Parliament house.

The Congress, which has been allotted 38 minutes to speak on the no-trust motion in the house is miffed. Mallikarjuna Kharge, who will also speak in the house apart from Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia said the time was insufficient to highlight issues of 130 crore Indians and faults of this govt. "Each party should get 30 minutes, but 38 minutes have been allotted to the largest opposition party. #NoConfidenceMotion can't be treated like question hour," Kharge said. 

PM Narendra Modi's meeting with senior BJP leaders including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, underway in Parliament. #NoConfidenceMotion

The Shiv Sena meeting has ended. The Sena which has 18 MPs has decided to abstain during the no-trust vote.

Sena's Sanjay Raut says that while the result of the no-trust vote is a given, they will not vote against the government. "We will not vote against or for the no-trust vote. We will remain neutral. This is as per the directions of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. The people's mandate change and we will see what happens in 2019. We don't like doing this. We need to keep relationships alive but where there is no respect, one needs to stay away. When the Sena takes a decision it creates a storm."

When asked whether they will remain with the BJP in 2019, Raut tellingly said, "Manse hum bahar nikal chuke hain."  

Here's the line-up of speakers from the government: Rajnath Singh, Rakesh Singh, Virendra Singh Mast and Arjun Ram Meghwal to speak from the government on the #NoConfidenceMotion in the Lok Sabha today.


This morning, before the Lok Sabha is to take up the no trust vote against his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a disruption-free and constructive debate in the House.


"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 & disruption free debate," he tweeted. He said lawmakers owe this to the people and the makers of the  Constitution. "India will be watching us closely," he said.


The Modi government is expected to have a smooth sailing when it faces the first no-confidence motion in four years in the Lok Sabha. Though the numbers are heavily stacked against the opposition, the Congress and other parties have indicated that they are keen to utilise the debate to attack the government on a range of of issues including farm distress, slow economic growth and rising incidents of lynching.


This is the Modi government's first no-trust challenge. 

Pic: Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Hours before the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government will face a no-confidence motion moved by former ally the Telugu Desam Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today will meet party president Amit Shah and top ministers at 10:30 am.

Rajnath Singh will lead the government's charge during the no-trust vote, while Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia will lead the opposition. The debate which will begin at 11 am will end at 6 pm with the house called to vote. Just ahead of the voting the PM is expected to speak. He is likely to use the platform of Parliament and give a listicle of his government's performance, and thereby lead the charge for the 2019 polls.


The PM has urged fellow MPs to "rise to the occasion and ensure a constructive, comprehensive and disruption-free debate".


Terming the day 'important' Prime Minister Modi took to his twitter handle and said, "Today is an important day in our Parliamentary democracy. I'm sure my fellow MP colleagues will rise to the occasion and ensure constructive, comprehensive and disruption-free debate. We owe this to the people and the makers of our Constitution. India will be watching us closely".


Of the 533-strong house, Modi enjoys the support of 296. He needs 267 to win. The opposition has the support of 147 MPs.

After keeping everyone, including its own ally -- the BJP -- guessing about whether it will support it in Lok Sabha today, the Shiv Sena has said that a decision will be taken at 10.30 am, just 30 minutes before proceedings in Parliament begin.