INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accused by opposition parties today of choosing silence instead of taking action over ethnic violence in Manipur, a north-eastern state governed by his party.

The accusation came as MPs began debating a no-confidence motion against his government that is bound to fail, as Mr Modi’s Hindu ultranationalist BJP holds a clear majority in parliament.

Opening the debate, Congress party MP Gaurav Gogoi said: “If Manipur is burning, India is burning. If Manipur is divided, India is divided.” 

He said the no-confidence motion was never about numbers, but about seeking justice for Manipur. 

Mr Modi has stayed silent over the events taking place in Manipur while the state teeters on the brink of a civil war.

More than 150 people have been killed in Manipur and over 50,000 displaced as clashes continue over a demand by mostly Hindu Meiteis for a special status that would let them buy land in the hills populated by Kukis and other tribal groups and get a share of government jobs.

Mr Gogoi said the PM’s silence showed the failure of his party on a state and federal level, adding that Mr Modi had not uttered a word of condolence or even appealed for peace in Manipur since the communal violence began there in early May.

Knowing the move has no chance of success, the opposition took the step of calling a no-confidence vote in a bid to force Mr Modi to go on parliamentary record over Manipur.

He is expected to speak in the debate some time tomorrow, before the motion is put to a vote. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was set to speak tday.

His parliamentary seat was restored after a court issued a stay on his court conviction for defamation over mocking the PM’s surname.