BJP asks MPs to show pacifist side

Congress demands discussions on price rise and other issues

The government on Monday continued to make strong overtures to the Opposition, which helped keep political temperatures low and allowed both the Houses of Parliament to function.

The thaw, despite the Lok Sabha taking up for discussion the contentious issue of “increasing incidents of intolerance,”  kept alive the hopes of the goods and services tax (GST) Constitution amendment Bill being passed in the ongoing winter session.

The Congress, however, indicated it was in “no hurry” on the GST issue and was keen that Parliament debate more urgent issues, like increasing intolerance, price rise and floods. Government sources said it was amenable to discussing all these issues.

Sources in the parliamentary affairs ministry said all Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in both Houses have been strictly instructed not to get “trapped” or “be provoked” into disrupting the House, as the government’s agenda was to ensure the passage of key reform Bills in this session. BJP MPs corroborated that they have been issued an “unwritten whip” to show their pacifist side.

The Congress is awaiting the government’s response on three of its demands on the GST issue. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu is slated to get in touch with Congress leaders to convey the government's position. Anand Sharma, deputy leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha,  and Congress’ chief whip in the Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia have been designated to convey the party's views to the government. A final decision, however, is likely once Congress President Sonia Gandhi returns from abroad next week after her medical check-up.

Government sources said they were willing to meet some of the Congress’ demands on the GST Bill, including on doing away with the one per cent tax on inter-state commerce of goods.

But it would suggest that the 18 per cent cap on GST rate not be included in the Constitution amendment Bill.

On constituting a dispute resolution authority, the government is armed with file notings of ministers in the United Progressive Alliance  government, where they had advocated that the GST council be empowered to constitute such an authority when a dispute arises.

The Congress, after the initial meeting of the PM with the Congress president on Friday, is yet to frame a strategy on the GST issue. “The ball on GST is in the government's court. We have made our views and concerns clear. It is for the government to get back to us,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

Congress sources said any talks of concessions on the party’s demands on the GST Bill should be conveyed by the government through proper channels.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return from Paris on Tuesday. He is slated to give the concluding speech of the discussion on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha.

Naidu on Monday thanked the Opposition for “restoring normalcy” to parliamentary functioning. “The meeting between the PM and Congress president has been widely welcomed across the country. This response is a clear indication that people strongly want collaborative parliamentary democracy and not confrontationist politics,” he said.

Naidu said people wanted Parliament to deliver, and the PM had made it clear that he believed in consensus building. “There is no place for intolerance in our country. Both the ruling and the Opposition are equally concerned about any stray incidents betraying intolerance. Collectively, we need to promote unity and harmony,” he said. Naidu said he was sure Parliament would pass major pending legislations this session.