Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is set to face a no-confidence vote in parliament amid a deadlock with the opposition over violence in the state of Manipur.
A lawmaker from the opposition Congress party moved a no-confidence motion on Wednesday.
Opposition leaders have said this is to force Mr Modi to speak on Manipur.
They have been demanding that he address parliament on the ethnic clashes in the state.
Federal home minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha – the lower house of parliament – earlier this week that the government was ready to discuss the violence in Manipur and accused the opposition of preventing this.
At least 130 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in Manipur since May after violence broke out between the majority Meitei group and the tribal Kuki minority.
Last week, a video that showed two women being paraded naked by a mob sparked global outrage and condemnation.
It also made Mr Modi break his silence on the issue: he said that the incident had “shamed India” and that the attackers wouldn’t be spared.
This is the second time that Mr Modi’s government is facing a no-confidence motion since it came to power in 2014.
In 2018, a lawmaker had moved a motion over the issue of granting a special category status to the state. It was defeated after a 12-hour debate.
A no-confidence motion can only be moved in the Lok Sabha and will be accepted if at least 50 lawmakers support it.
Once accepted, the speaker will announce a date for a vote within 10 days.
If the government is unable to prove its majority, it will have to resign.
On Wednesday, two motions were moved by MPs from the Congress party and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi – the first was accepted.
Speaker Om Birla said he would announce a date for the debate after speaking with leaders of all parties.
Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party will not be worried about losing the vote – the party and its allies have a clear majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
But the prime minister will be required to speak to defend his government, which is the opposition’s aim.
“We are well aware that the numbers are not in our favour,” Manoj K Jha, an opposition MP, said on Wednesday. “But it is not about the numbers, the PM will have to speak in the Parliament following a no-confidence motion.”
The opposition was “forced to move the no-confidence motion as it was the last weapon”, Congress leader Manickam Tagore said
