The long-pending Insurance Bill – that seeks to increase the Foreign Direct Investment cap in the sector to 49 per cent — was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday despite Opposition objecting to its introduction on the ground that the Rajya Sabha had not allowed its withdrawal.
As Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha sought permission of the Lok Sabha to introduce the The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015, members of the Left parties and Trinamool Congress questioned the "legislative competence’’ of the House to consider the draft legislation at a time when the Rajya Sabha had not allowed the Government to withdraw it from the Upper House.
The Congress did not join these Opposition parties in objecting the introduction of the Bill but the party did vote against the motion to introduce it. Though the Government was keen to introduce the Bill by voice vote, the Opposition insisted on a proper vote despite being clearly outnumbered.
The Opposition contention was that the Government was trying to set a new precedent that violated the very structure of the bicameral system of Parliament that India has adopted. “What the Government is doing has no precedence in 67 years of independent India’s existence,’’ was the Opposition’s refrain and goes against the grain of the two houses having equal powers on legislation.
