Jaitley holds Rahul responsible for 'washout' of session

Says drafting laws in a manner to fit these into definition of money Bills not preferred alternative for govt

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday seemed to hold Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi responsible for the washout of the winter session of Parliament, claiming that most Congress leaders have "expressed helplessness over the decision of their leadership that Parliament must be disturbed continuously."

He said the Congress' disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, and its insistence that all Bills be sent to a select committee even after a standing committee has studied it, has forced the government to adopt an alternative option of a joint committee to consider the bankruptcy law. He said the other option of drafting laws in a manner to fit them into the definition of money Bills was not the preferred alternative for the government. Only the Lok Sabha, where the government has a majority, can vote on money Bills, while Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority, cannot.

Jaitley, in a blogpost 'Stray Thoughts after the Winter Session', said the moot question which arises for the Congress is, "how does India legislate?" He said the standing committee mechanism, which had worked exceedingly well since 1993, has been weakened in the Rajya Sabha, by that house repeatedly appointing select committees, questioning the opinions of the standing committee. "If this tendency continues, a successful institution of Standing Committee could be hurt."

Jaitley criticised the Congress for its "irrational" approach in dealing with Parliament, which he said was hurting institutions. "If Pandit Nehru can be credited in the initial years of our democracy of having laid down healthy precedents, the current generation in control of the Congress Party will find a place in history of having weakened what their ancestors established," Jaitley said.

"Has the country not lost out by delaying the GST (goods and services tax) since the last year's Budget session? How far is it desirable to pass important legislations on the last day without discussion? Statistically, we have passed a law. But has Parliament applied its mind to the law?" Jaitley asked, referring to a slew of Bills that the Rajya Sabha passed in the last three days of the winter session without any discussion.

The finance minister also expressed concern at "vulgarity" becoming the new norm in Indian politics, pointing out the "outlandish" statements by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal about the prime minister.

"Falsehood delivered with vulgar overtones is not a substitute of truth. Lumpenisation of public discourse can never be high point of politics," he said, accusing functionaries of the Delhi government of having lowered the level of political discourse. He said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership relied heavily on general falsehood without ever stating specifics. "The AAP's success in Delhi seems to have misled the Congress Party that vulgarity brings votes," he said.