New Delhi: Congress MP Manickam Tagore slammed the Central Government alleging that it had "breached" the Parliamentary norms by passing the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021, in Lok Sabha at a time when Opposition was protesting and sloganeering over Pegasus snooping row.
On Monday, Lok Sabha passed the Insurance Amendment Act without any debate amid Opposition MPs protests. The bill would allow the government to bring down its hold on State-owned general insurance companies, generate required resources and help public sector General insurers design innovative products.
While speaking to ETV Bharat, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, "This Government's attitude towards Parliament is well known and today it has been proved again that the insurance sector, which was in the hands of Government, has now been sold out to the friends of Mr. Modi. Therefore, they breached all Parliamentary norms and pushed this bill at a time when members were agitating for other issues."
Opposition parties have been continuously raising a demand of discussion in Parliament over the Pegasus row in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Due to this, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have failed to transact any business.
As the Government of India has still not agreed to discuss Pegasus, Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi has invited all the Opposition MPs for breakfast, on Tuesday, to chalk out further strategy to corner the Government on issues of Pegasus and farm laws.
"The Opposition wants discussion. We have been asking the government from Day 1 that we want a discussion on the snooping issue of the Israeli company NSO and the Government is running away from that. Since the last nine days, government has closed it's eyes and spreading lies about disturbance in Parliament. Therefore Rahul Gandhi is going to host a breakfast for Opposition MPs tomorrow," Tagore said.
He further asserted, "These are all good beginnings for the mutual understanding of the Opposition parties to find a common ground to fight against the authoritarian rule of Modi-Shah."
It has also been reported that some of the Opposition MPs have suggested to have a 'Mock Parliament' as the Government is not listening to their voices. The matter will also be discussed in tomorrow's meeting to take the final call.
"There are some suggestions about it. Tomorrow, it will be discussed in the meeting. Whatever will be decided by the senior leaders, it will be implemented," the Congress MP said.
When asked if the Opposition is also considering to take out a march against the Central Government, Manickam Tagore replied, "We are very clear that Parliament is a forum where people's issues should be discussed. If a foreign company attacks people's aspirations like Judiciary, media, election commission, activists, then we believe it should be discussed in the Parliament. We are still hopeful the the Government would allow the Parliament to function and to discuss over the Pegasus issue."
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