NCP breaks ranks with Congress to back insurance bill
6 Aug 2014 5:29 AM IST
After an all-party meeting held on Monday in Parliament House on this controversial Bill, NCP leader Praful Patel backed the bill saying it should be passed and minor amendments can be accommodated. ‘The meeting remained inconclusive. We have agreed to meet again in the next two days to arrive at a consensus on the possible formulation of the legislation,’ he said, making it clear that the NCP would support the bill, which they had done even when the UPA had proposed to bring it before the House.
On the other hand, the Congress has decided not to support the bill. Party leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said , ‘We want to know what will be the repercussions of the changes that this government has made in the bill.’ His party colleague Rashid Alvi on Monday said, ‘We were continuously saying that the government should talk to every party and create consensus. Just having a talk is not important. If you have a talk, and then do what you want to, then it doesn’t make any sense. You talk, have consensus, and then move forward.’ When asked if the opposition will support the bill, Alvi said, ‘How can I say this? Consensus means taking everybody’s opinion and moving ahead.’
However both the parties - NCP and Congress – said that difference of opinion on the issue of Insurance Bill did not mean the end of their alliance in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said, ‘There is no split in the alliance. Both (Insurance Bill and elections in Maharashtra) are different issues. We (NCP-Congress) have been together for a long time and will continue to do so in Maharashtra as well to keep communal forces at bay in the state.’ Speaking to Millennium Post on the issue, NCP general secretary DP Tripathi said, ‘There is no question of a split between NCP and the Congress. We have been consistent in being with the UPA and we will continue to do so as we have similar views as them. The Insurance Bill was brought in during the UPA time and we supported it then and we continue doing so now.’
He explained that the NCP’s view on the bill had no bearing whatsoever on the Maharashtra elections. ‘This will have no effect on the upcoming polls in Maharashtra. For these elections, we will continue to have an alliance with the Congress,’ he added.
On the other hand, the Congress has decided not to support the bill. Party leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said , ‘We want to know what will be the repercussions of the changes that this government has made in the bill.’ His party colleague Rashid Alvi on Monday said, ‘We were continuously saying that the government should talk to every party and create consensus. Just having a talk is not important. If you have a talk, and then do what you want to, then it doesn’t make any sense. You talk, have consensus, and then move forward.’ When asked if the opposition will support the bill, Alvi said, ‘How can I say this? Consensus means taking everybody’s opinion and moving ahead.’
However both the parties - NCP and Congress – said that difference of opinion on the issue of Insurance Bill did not mean the end of their alliance in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed said, ‘There is no split in the alliance. Both (Insurance Bill and elections in Maharashtra) are different issues. We (NCP-Congress) have been together for a long time and will continue to do so in Maharashtra as well to keep communal forces at bay in the state.’ Speaking to Millennium Post on the issue, NCP general secretary DP Tripathi said, ‘There is no question of a split between NCP and the Congress. We have been consistent in being with the UPA and we will continue to do so as we have similar views as them. The Insurance Bill was brought in during the UPA time and we supported it then and we continue doing so now.’
He explained that the NCP’s view on the bill had no bearing whatsoever on the Maharashtra elections. ‘This will have no effect on the upcoming polls in Maharashtra. For these elections, we will continue to have an alliance with the Congress,’ he added.
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