No deal with govt on passage of financial bills: BJP

BJP today said there was no deal with the government on financial Bills and insisted it has categorically told Finance Minister P Chidambaram that he should not bring the Insurance Bill in this session of Parliament as the opposition will not let it pass.
"There are reports that there is a deal between the government and BJP on passage of Financial Bills. No such deal has taken place on such Bills. We are in no mood for any deal with this government," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters.
Chidambaram had reached out to BJP when he met Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley and Sinha last week in a bid to secure the support for the Insurance and Pensions Bills.

"In the meeting, Chidambaram was clearly told that there is no possibility of getting the Insurance Bill passed in this session of Parliament. We don't want a deal with the government," Sinha said.
BJP is of the view that the government should abide by the 26 per cent FDI cap in insurance sector as suggested by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.
However, Sinha said BJP is ready to support the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Bill claiming the Bill being moved by the government is the same as the one drafted by the erstwhile NDA government.
"This government has kept that Pensions Bill hanging since 2004. We have suggested two amendments to this Bill to which the government has agreed," Sinha said.

BJP has suggested the FDI cap of 26 per cent should be a part of the Pensions Bill itself. Secondly, assured returns to subscribers should be provided in the Bill.