Govt, opposition raging war of words through day on economic reform and GST

Pandemonium by Congress members in Rajya Sabha ensured GST Bill could not be discussed

It was a raging war of words between the Government and the Opposition Congress on Tuesday as the government made an attempt to take up the constitutional amendment Bill to the goods and services tax (GST) for consideration and passing in the Rajya Sabha.

The “pandemonium” created by the Congress members, ensured that the Bill could not be discussed.

While Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took to lambasting the Congress both within the House and outside for “stalling economic reforms” in the country, the Congress retaliated by tripping up the treasury benches on a “technical” point — the Bill had never been discussed by the business advisory committee (BAC) and no time had been allocated for it. Simply put, “it cannot be taken up for discussion”.

Should the Bill be listed again for Wednesday — the penultimate day of the session — the Opposition Congress with its larger numbers insists they will not allow the House to function.



For the Congress which had been disrupting proceedings since the first day of the Monsoon session, demanding the resignation of External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and the two chief ministers - the "surprise" listing of the bill in the legislative business of the Rajya Sabha late on Monday night, only intensified their opposition to the government.

 

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Anand Sharma, cited house rules 34 and 35 to accuse the government of resorting to its old tactic of bypassing parliamentary procedure.

He even stated how both he and the Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, had minutely scrutinised the Bulletin as well as the minutes of the BAC and certified that the GST bill had never been discussed nor time allocated.



As Finance Minister and Leader of the House, Arun Jaitley, started moving the bill, the Congress members were on their feet sloganeering and protesting. While Jaitley later insisted that when the bill had first been introduced in May, during the last session, the BAC then had allocated four hour time to it, Anand Sharma refuted it stating; with the end of a session the

BAC decisions pertaining to it lapse as well.

In the melee that ensued, the FM took the opportunity to reiterate (and to put on record in the house proceedings) that the "Congress does not want the economy to grow". They were using the "pretext" of seeking resignations, to "stall economic reform." Adding that apart from the Congress, all other parties wanted the GST bill to be passed.

Seeking wider publicity for the government's point of view, the FM subsequently even addressed a separate press briefing repeating the same accusations against the Congress.

In a point by point rebuttal to the FM and the government, Ghulam Nabi Azad, questioned "who was stalling economic reform till 2014 - the BJP."

Going as far back as Rajiv Gandhi's era and his thrust at computerisation, Azad asserted that it was the BJP which had opposed it, then again obstructed the 1990- 91 economic reforms and recently the Insurance bill, the GST; painting themselves as "swadeshi" and the economic reforms thrust by the Congress as "videshi."

While it was true that the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had said he and his party

wanted discussion in Parliament - the actions by SP members going to the well of the house today protesting and demanding the Caste census survey be made public, suggested the contrary. Azad countered the government claim of a divided Opposition asking, "Has any non- Congress Opposition party supported the government on the floor of the Parliament?"

Infact, welcoming the BJP's thrust for economic reforms, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu singhvi said, "We are happy that government has realised that GST is in public interest - they've had this realisation seven years later! " Asserting that GST should ultimately come before Parliament but not flouting the rule books.

Incidentally while non- Congress leaders were publicly supporting the legislation and stating that they were not opposed to it, the top leadership of the Trinamool Congress, the JD(U) were admitting to partymen that this Monsoon session atleast this bill could not be cleared. With just two days of the session remaining, no Opposition party wanted to be seen outrightly siding with the government.