Cong’s dilemma: to support or oppose Bills

As the Winter Session started here on Monday, the Congress appears to be confused as the non-Congress Opposition have started building a platform against key reform Bills in Parliament.

The Congress, in principle, supports all the legislations lined up, including the Insurance Bill and the Constitutional Amendment Bill to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the party also does not want to break the unity developing among Opposition parties against the Narendra Modi Government.

The way the Congress sees it, the GST Bill and the Insurance Bill are its babies.

The BJP, on the other hand, has been opposing the Bills since their inception, said Congress spokesperson and MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. “The BJP is treating the public as those who forget and forgive everything,” he said.

Singhvi said the BJP, which supported the Land Acquisition Act in Parliament, is now treating it as a villain.

He warned the Government against bringing any amendments to the Bill in the interest of corporate houses.

However, within the Congress, the approach on the Land Acquisition Act is changing.

A shadow group of Congress leaders on the Bill is learnt to have taken a decision that some of the points raised by the NDA Government against the Bill are valid after all.

Four months ago, in a meeting convened by the then Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari, several State Governments, including Congress-ruled States, had criticised the Act, particularly the compulsory clauses on Social Impact Assessment and consent of gram sabhas.

“For a number of projects, including the construction of a new capital in Andhra Pradesh, a large quantity of land may have to be acquired.

“Many of us feel that the present Act will be a hindrance to such projects,” a former Congress minister told BusinessLine here.

He added that the Congress’ main concern will be the provision to allow the FII route in FDI in insurance.

“The select committee will take a look at the issues raised by us,” the Congress leader added.

The Congress’ strategy seems to be keeping an arm’s length with the Left and Socialist blocs on the issue of reforms at the level of Parliament.

The party, however, will be keen to strategically ally with them at the State level.

The Congress, however, has said that it will not give a blank cheque to the Government on such issues.

Singhvi said the party will see the details of all the legislations. “There is no blank cheque either in politics or in policies,” he said.

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