Indian opposition parties' no-confidence motion against federal gov't defeated

NEW DELHI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The no-confidence motion brought by the opposition parties in India against the federal government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was defeated by a voice vote in the Indian parliament's lower house on Thursday.

The debate over the no-confidence motion lasted for three days after it was introduced by a lawmaker belonging to the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), on Tuesday.

The main agenda of the opposition parties to bring in the no-confidence motion was to discuss the situation in the strife-torn northeastern state of Manipur.

Manipur has been on edge since May 3 when large-scale violence broke out in the state during a tribal protest over the inclusion of the non-tribal Meiteis community for a scheduled tribe status, designated for disadvantaged socio-economic groups which gives them reservations in education and government jobs.