No-confidence motion: Very clear Modi govt now on back foot, says Jyotiraditya Scindia

It was high on drama and very low on content. He could not answer any of the questions that had been put forward by the opposition parties. It was very clear, and it is very clear that this government is now on the back foot.

The Congress had said the debate on no-confidence motion will be the launch of its 2019 campaign. Has the party been able to pin down the government?

That is for you to judge. I don’t think it is fair of us to judge. But I think Rahul Gandhi’s speech has been inspirational and he has very clearly put the government on the mat – they did not have answers to any of the questions.

Modi had a message for non-Congress opposition parties: that if you go with the Congress, you will also sink.

I think everything will become clearer to the Prime Minister closer to the elections. I think rather than undermining the Opposition — which is what he traditionally does — he should look at his own party’s prospects. The Opposition will do its own job of raising the voice of the people. We believe that we are the fiduciary responsibility-holders of the voice of the downtrodden, the women, the farmers, the unemployed youth. And that is the voice that we have continuously raised against this government, which has trampled constitutional and democratic processes.

At the end, Opposition had 126 votes. Were you expecting more support from parties such as BJD?

This no-confidence motion is not just about votes that you get in the House. It is the place where you win hearts by raising issues of the people. I think the government is left completely stumped by Rahul Gandhi’s very frontal attack, and it was left answer-less.

Why did Rahul Gandhi go and embrace the PM? Did it surprise you, and others in the party?

He displayed the Congress ideology and the Congress spirit, which is, “aap aur hum mein matbhed ho sakte hain, lekin manbhed nehi hai. We can have a difference of opinion but there is not a spirit of negativity or hatred —- like the BJP carries towards Opposition members. That is the true spirit of democracy.