Sadhvi issue may affect Insurance Bill

New Delhi: The current stand-off in the two Houses of Parliament over the controversial remarks by Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti could affect the key Insurance Bill the government wants to pass in this session itself, either with the help of the Opposition or by calling a joint sitting of the two Houses.

According to Congress managers, the party cannot dilute its stand on the Union minister as it would break the Opposition’s unity in Parliament. The government has to condemn such remarks through a resolution in Parliament, they said.

Asked about the fate of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008, which is with the select committee of the Rajya Sabha, if the stalemate continued, they said it was for the government to decide.

The current mood in the Congress is in favour of the Insurance Bill, which proposes to raise the FDI limit to 49 per cent and allows entry of foreign re-insurers.

But it is unclear whether or not the party would issue a whip asking its MPs to vote in favour of the bill because a section of party MPs said passing government business is not their duty.

“Besides, it will not benefit us any way as the BJP and the government would get mileage out of it even if it is our bill,” they said.