Democracy cannot survive without opposition: Rajnath Singh

Opposition is a key component of democracy without which it cannot survive, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.
"In a healthy democracy, where there is a role and relevance of the government, there is also an important role for the opposition. Opposition is important for a healthy democracy. Democracy cannot survive without opposition," Singh said at an event to mark the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar which was also attended by leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
With opposition support crucial for the passage of key reform measures like GST apparently weighing on his mind, Singh complimented Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya on inviting Kharge. Singh said invitation to the Congress leader, also a former labour minister, was in accordance with the principles laid down by the architect of Indian Constitution B R Ambedkar.

According to Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, GST Bill and the Real Estate Bill are on the list of Government Business in the Rajya Sabha during the week commencing tomorrow.
The government and the opposition, particularly Congress, are engaged in a cat and mouse game over Goods and Services Tax Bill for quite some time.
Lauding Ambedkar, a former labour minister, Singh said he was not only the architect of the Constitution but the architect of modern India as he laid the foundations for two other important institutions--the Reserve Bank of India and Finance Commission.

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Singh said at USD 2 trillion, Indian economy was among the top 10 economies of the world "but we want it to be among top three in the next few years".
It will be possible only when we take care of both capital and the labour, he added.
"Today, if we look at the contribution of the manufacturing sector, it is about 14 per cent of GDP, whereas in China it is about 30 per cent. We are trying that in coming days the contribution of manufacturing sector to our GDP goes up to at least 25-30 per cent," Singh said.

The Make in India initiative, he said, was a step in that direction.
"You all would be delighted to know that in such a short time we have received foreign direct investment (FDI) of USD 31 billion which no other country has got," he claimed.
Singh said a successful manufacturing sector will not only contribute significantly to the GDP but will also help generate employment.
Mallikarjun Kharge lauded Ambedkar's role in not only framing the constitution but also raising key labour issues.
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In his speech, Rajnath Singh also said that cow needed to be viewed through various other facets and not merely mythological, scientific or economic.

"I feel that the prevailing polluted atmosphere, the angle of climate change should also be examined. Because scientists have said to produce one pound of beef, 1,800 gallons of water is used while for producing other meats 500 to 1,200 gallons of water is used. You can yourself conclude that we have to stop the fast changing climate changes that are taking place.
"We understand the importance of cow and as more and more awareness is created, the state governments are banning cow slaughter," he said.
Singh said that due to the curbs on the border, a Bangladesh minister told him a few months ago that beef prices in Bangladesh had risen by 40 per cent after the ban on cattle smuggling.

Joshi asked the attendees at the meeting to take over the task of cow protection and change the mindset to stop the smuggling of cows should come to an end.
"Smuggling of cows was on the increase in last few years due to the perverted mindset and some people were making financial gains out of the practice due to the corrupt administration.
"We have now started working in the right direction and we hope that all problems in this regard would be removed," he said.
Among those present at the meeting were BJP general secretary Ram Lal, RSS joint general secretary Krishan Gopal, VHP general secretary Champat Rai and joint general secretary Surendra Jain, besides Delhi BJP unit chief Satish Upadhyay and New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi.