The thirteenth day of the Parliament's Winter Session witnessed intense political sparring in the Rajya Sabha and significant legislative action in the Lok Sabha. Union Minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, J P Nadda, launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of undermining national interest to cover up its electoral losses. Simultaneously, the Lok Sabha passed a crucial bill to attract foreign investment into the insurance sector.
Nadda's Scathing Reply on Election Reforms Debate
In a forceful reply to the debate on election reforms on Tuesday, J P Nadda accused the principal opposition party of deliberately misleading the country. He stated that the Congress was creating a false narrative of vote rigging through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls merely to pacify its own cadres after repeated poll defeats.
Nadda questioned why the Congress never raised concerns about the Election Commission of India's (ECI) credibility during the years it was in power and allegedly "controlled" its functioning. He urged the party to introspect on the real reasons for its electoral failures instead of blaming the constitutional body. In a pointed remark, he also asked whether "ghuspaithiyas" (infiltrators) should be allowed to be included in voter lists and participate in Indian elections.
Lok Sabha Passes Landmark Insurance Bill
While the Upper House debated, the Lok Sabha passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025. The key provision of the bill is to raise the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector to 100 per cent from the existing cap.
Replying to the debate, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this move aims to provide insurance coverage to all citizens by 2047. She argued that increased FDI would attract more players, enhance competition, and ultimately make insurance policies more affordable for the common person. "Monopoly doesn't give us that advantage, and therefore, the more the competition, the better the rates," Sitharaman stated. She also emphasized the government's parallel commitment to strengthening public sector insurance companies, noting significant improvements in their financial health since 2014.
Government Reports Progress on Ration Card e-KYC
In another key update in the Rajya Sabha, the government informed that the nationwide e-KYC drive for ration cards has seen substantial progress. Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, stated that 85.6 per cent of the work is complete. Furthermore, over 99 per cent of beneficiaries are now linked with their Aadhaar cards, marking a significant step towards reducing leakage and ensuring efficient delivery of food security benefits.
The day's proceedings underscored the government's focus on economic reforms and digital governance, even as political tensions over electoral integrity took center stage in the parliamentary discourse.
