GST Bill: Cong negativism hurting economy

Reacting sharply, Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “the unwarranted, uncharitable and provocative statement by the Finance Minister and BJP, accusing Congress of disruption makes it abundantly clear that the government is neither serious nor sincere in breaking the deadlock in Parliament.”

Jaitley acknowledging that there may be merit in Congress’ demand for 18 <g data-gr-id="23">per cent</g> rate of GST, he said the NDA government has “not made any significant modifications” to the bill that the Congress-led UPA government had proposed in 2006-07 Budget, “except to bring a consensus between manufacturing and the consuming states”. The minister asked, “The state governments belonging to the Congress party have consistently supported the proposal. Is it only out of an obstructionist attitude that the Congress has adopted a negative role?”

“Since Parliament is not functioning and there is no way to clarify these points before the same, I am constrained to place the above facts in public domain,” Jaitley wrote in a Facebook post titled ‘Dissent or Disruption - The Congress Party’s Position on GST’. He said the Congress and its leader “may be upset with the government for political reasons. They may be upset with the electorate for the 2014 verdict. The Congress party should accept and seriously introspect after having ruled the country for the longest period of time, that negativism hurts the country. Should its obstructionist tendencies inflict an economic injury on the country?”

Meanwhile Sharma said, “The blame of Parliament’s not functioning lies squarely with the PM for his arrogance and obduracy.” He said it was “ironical that Arun Jaitley is asking the Congress to reflect whereas as per the government’s own claim is that the Parliament has transacted more business in the last one year as compared to the previous 10 years. The credit for the Parliament work and clearing important legislative work in the last one year belongs to the responsible and mature Opposition whereas the blame for the derailment of the legislative business in the previous 10 long years lies with the BJP.”He asked Jaitley and BJP “not to give patronizing sermons to the Congress but to collectively reflect and apologise for their own conduct while in Opposition.”