Hyderabad: With only two working days left for Parliament’s Winter Session to end, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday voiced confidence that the insurance bill would be taken up for consideration and passage with the support of opposition.
“We will make all efforts. Because, people’s interest is important. I am already talking to opposition parties, appealing to them to understand the situation. I am still confident. I am optimistic that tomorrow they will try to help us,” he told reporters here. He was replying to a query whether the government would reach out to the opposition for passing the insurance bill, which provides for raising FDI cap from 26 per cent to 49 per cent.
With only two working days left in the Winter Session of Parliament, the fate of the government’s economic reform agenda, particularly the insurance bill and the coal bill, hangs in balance in view of strong opposition by some parties. The insurance bill could not be taken up in Rajya Sabha due to disruptions even though it was listed on four days last week.
Proceedings of Rajya Sabha, during the entire last week, were washed out as theopposition stalled the House by pressing the demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should reply to a debate on religious conversions. Asked about RSS Chief Mohan Bhag-wat’s comments in favour of bringing in a law against religious conver-sion, Naidu said the government would not bring any law against conversion without a larger consensus on it.
“BJP had already announced that it would be right to bring a law against conversion as per the prevailing situation in the country. “But, that is possible only when there is general consensus. Without consensus, the government would not bring any such law. An advice is given. Everybody has got the right to give advice. There is a right to write. You have the right to make commentary,” he said.
Replying to a query on BJP’s role in Jammu and Kashmir in the event of a hung verdict, Naidu said the results should be out first. “Let results come. Let’s not make tall claims. But, one claim I can say. Congress will be the last,” he said.
Referring to the reported comments of a Hindu Mahasabha leader seeking the government’s permis-sion to install the statues of Nathuram Godse, Naidu there is no question of government allowing it. “I am telling as a minister. There is no question of allowing any Godse’s stat-ue. Because, it will create public disorder, it is against national interest and natio-nal mood of the people.
BJP and the government condemn such things. They are individuals. If they do anything against law, then local governments have to take action against it,” he said. Talking about the debate on religious conver-sions, he asserted that the “government has nothing to do with conversions or reconversions.” Conver-sions has been happening in the country since pre-Independence era, he said.(PTI)
