Chidambaram reaches out to BJP to break deadlock on banking bill

The government tried to reach out to the BJP on Tuesday over key pending bills, but there is no breakthrough yet.

The government tried to reach out to the BJP on Tuesday over key pending bills, but there is no breakthrough yet.

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Finance minister P Chidamabaram met senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley over the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, which was stalled by the opposition in the Lok Sabha on Monday, demanding that it be sent back to the Standing Committee.

Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said that the bill had allowed banks to put their money in futures trading, which was not part of the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance.

Chidambaram is believed to have told Swaraj that this had been suggested by the Standing Committee on Food and Consumer Affairs. But Swaraj said she would have to consult her party.

With none of the sides seeming to yield, the deadlock on the bill continues.

Home minister Sushil Shinde met Jaitley over a bill relating to divorce resulting from irretrievable breakdown of marriage. The BJP wants the sharing of property as a condition for this bill to get through.