Indian government’s attempts to push through the GST Bill in Rajya Sabha were on Tuesday stalled by the Congress disrupting the House, inviting angry reaction from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who targeted Sonia and Rahul Gandhi saying they were not able to digest election defeat.
Accusing the Congress party of creating obstacles in the path of growth and economy, he declared that government would try to get the bill passed with the help of parties supporting GST through “all correct measures politically and constitutionally”.
Government’s difficulties in a House where Congress has significant number of 68 members in a House of 245 came with only two days to go for the monsoon session of Parliament, which has been a virtual washout in the wake of Congress campaign on political issues.
The BJP, which has 48 members in the House, has the support of about 120 MPs, and will have to work on a number of small parties to muster about 165 members to make up for the mandatory two-third support for a Constitution amendment Bill.
With the roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is touted as one of the major economic reforms measures, planned for April 1, 2016, Jaitley moved the Bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha after the House adopted the Appropriation Bill without any discussion.
But immediately, Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma raised objections saying discussion on the Bill cannot be taken up as it was not discussed in Business Advisory Committee and no time has been allocated for it.
When Jaitley got up to move the Bill, Congress members trooped into the well, shouting slogans against the government.
“The real purpose is that they want to stall to stall the growth of the country and that is why session after session, they are using one pretext or the other to stall it. That is why they are using the pretext of External Affairs Minister.
“The Congress party does not want the economy to grow.
They must candidly say so…They don’t need any pretext,” he said.
Amid stormy scenes and vociferous slogan shouting by Congress members, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said, “This being a Constitution amendment bill, I cannot take up the bill in pandemonium”. He then adjourned the House for the day.
