New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI): Opposition parties alleged today that the government bulldozed the insurance Bill through Rajya Sabha and “brute force” was used against members in the House.
The Bill to allow privatisation of state-run general insurance companies received parliamentary assent today after the Rajya Sabha passed it with a voice vote amid vociferous protests and tearing of papers by opposition parties.
“A black day for parliament. They have virtually made it a military barrack. Brute force was used against members including woman. What was our crime? We opposed the insurance bill. It in fact was insurance annihilation Bill. ‘Atmanirbhar BJP’ has surrendered India to capitalists (sic),” CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam alleged in a tweet.
The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021, was passed by a voice vote in the din in a matter of minutes, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman not replying to brief points raised by MPs.
Opposition parties like the Trinamool Congress, DMK and the Left parties opposed the Bill and wanted it to be referred to a select committee.
But the motion was rejected by a voice vote leading to slogan-shouting by opposition members who entered the Well, tore papers and moved dangerously close to the presiding officer’s chair.
Rajya Sabha personnel were deployed around the presiding officer and the House table to prevent a repeat of Tuesday’s ugly scenes when some MPs had climbed on the table.
“#Censorship Modi-Shah Gujarat model now well and truly in Delhi. Now, there are more security guards than MPs in the House as the Govt tries to BULLDOZE Insurance Bill,” said Trinamool MP and the party’s leader in the House Derek O’Brien.