The Congress will move a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led central government on the Manipur issue in the Lok Sabha, sources said on Wednesday.

Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi will move the motion, party’s whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore told PTI.

Although the decision to move the no-confidence motion is that of the united opposition, Gogoi, who is an MP from Assam, will move the motion, he said.

“The INDIA alliance is together and this is the idea of the INDIA alliance. Congress party’s leader will be moving the motion. We feel that it is our duty to use this last weapon to break the arrogance of the government and make them speak on Manipur,” Tagore asserted.

He said the notice for the motion was submitted in the Speaker’s office at 9.20 am on Wednesday.

Tagore said the opposition had decided to move the no-confidence motion to break the arrogance of the prime minister, who is not speaking in Parliament.

The alliance of 26 opposition parties, INDIA, had decided to move the motion in order to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak in Parliament on the Manipur violence, senior leaders of the front said.

The Congress has also issued a whip in the Lower House of Parliament for its members to be present in its parliamentary office by 10.30 am on Wednesday to “discuss some important issues”.

Although the no-confidence motion by opposition parties is bound to fail the numbers test, opposition parties argue that they will win the battle of perception by cornering the government on the Manipur issue during the debate.

They contend that it is also a strategy to make the prime minister speak in Parliament on the crucial matter even as the government has been insisting that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will reply to the debate on the Manipur situation.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties met at the chamber of the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday to chalk out future course of action.

With the opposition planning to bring a no-confidence motion against his government, PM Modi’s reply to such a motion in 2018 has gone viral wherein he mockingly tells the parties behind it that they should prepare to table a similar exercise in 2023 as well.

“I want to send you my good wishes that you prepare so much that you get a chance to bring a no-confidence again in 2023,” he had said while replying in Lok Sabha to the no-confidence motion in 2018.

Government sources shared this part of Modi’s speech to highlight his “prediction”.

Responding to an opposition member, Modi said it was the consequence of arrogance that the Congress’ tally fell from over 400 at one time to nearly 40 in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

It is due to the spirit of service that the BJP rose from two seats to winning power on its own, he had said.