WINTER SESSION OPENS TO DISCONTENT FROM OPPOSITION

The Winter session of Parliament opened today with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) seeking to push through a clutch of economic reforms. However, a cold response greeted the government with protest marches by Congress (I) supporters who were objecting to the inclusion of the former and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi amongst those accused in the Bofors kickback case.

The Congress (I) also staged a walk out from the Upper House of Parliament against this. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee retaliated by saying that it was not for him to remove names of those accused in the Bofors scandal. It was a legal issue, he said, and the attorney general had advised him that he could not do so.

The result of all this was that any intentions the government had of introducing legislation was put off with the exception of the Foreign Exchange Management Bill. The government is seeking to pass about two dozen bills in Parliament within 19 days that the Parliament will be in session. Among the most controversial is the Insurance Regulatory Authority which seeks to allow foreign insurers to set up base in India. Left forces have been strongly protesting any opening up of the insurance sector, which has so far been the stronghold of government-owned institutions such as GIC, and LIC.

Vajpayee also faced some ire for the government's lackadaisical approach towards the victims of the Orissa Cyclone. He also faced revolt within his own ranks with ousted Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh threatening to topple the new chief minister R.P. Gupta.