Govt reaches out to Sonia, Manmohan at 7RCR tea meet

In a move which may thaw frosty relations between the treasury and the opposition benches, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening hosted Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a discussion over tea.

The meeting assumed significance as the government and the Congress are at loggerheads over the passage of crucial legislations including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu were also present at the meeting, which was held at the 7 Race Course Road residence of the Prime Minister.

“Former PM Manmohan Singh & Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi meet PM. Top ministers are present at the meet,” the PMO said in a tweet. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes. The leaders are learnt to have discussed key issues, including the GST bill that is pending in Parliament.

Jaitley had said on Thursday that Modi was willing to speak to everyone to get the landmark indirect tax law through. Jaitley, who needs Parliament approval for GST Bill in the winter session to roll out the new indirect tax regime as planned from April 1, had said he has spoken to “almost all Congress leaders” on the issue.

With most of the Opposition parties on board, the objections from the Congress are being seen as the main obstacle in passage of the Bill. “We have absolutely no hesitation even at the level of the Prime Minister. We have never had it in the past, we don’t have it (now). He is willing to speak to everyone,” he had said.

Congress had stalled passage of the GST Constitution Amendment Bill in the last session of Parliament over its demand that a revenue-neutral rate not higher than 18 per cent be mentioned in it. It is also opposed to states being given powers to levy additional 1 per cent tax on supply of goods over and above GST rate.