The Trinamool Congress and the Janata Dal(United) emphatically reiterated their opposition to the Insurance Bill and took the initiative on the opening day of Parliament’s Winter Session, giving notice for suspension of the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the black money issue.
However, the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Shiv Sena stressed that their support to the Bill was contingent on what the final draft law contained. The Left parties and most of the Janata Parivar parties are, in any case, opposed to the Bill.
For the government, it is a question of mustering the numbers. While this may not prove to be a problem in the Lok Sabha, getting the arithmetic right in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in a minority, will be difficult.
For the BJP, getting everyone on board will stretch the skills of its managers. Asked about the Trinamool’s strident position vis-à-vis the government, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, after first complimenting the party for ousting the Left from West Bengal, stressed that the Centre had nothing to do with the CBI’s investigation of the Saradha chit fund scam.
The Bill is with the Select Committee. On Tuesday, the BJP will fill the vacancies in the committee.
Five (BJP-3, SAD-1, Independent-1) of the 15 members of the committee are backing the Bill, four (one each from the Trinamool, the CPI(M), the JD-U and the Samajwadi Party) are opposing it, the Congress’s three MPs and the BSP’s one MP are waiting to see the final product, and the AIADMK and the BJD members have yet to make their position clear.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said “no blank cheque” would be issued in support of the government since the “devil is in the detail.” BSP chief Mayawati told presspersons, “When the panel submits its report and the issue comes up for discussion in the House, we will take a call.”
