New Delhi: With the main Opposition Congress adopting a hardline approach and refusing to budge from not allowing convening of a special session of Parliament for facilitating the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, the government on Wednesday decided to prorogue the Monsoon Session on Parliament.
“Keeping the political reality in mind, at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs it was decided that we will recommend to the President to prorogue the Monsoon Session,” finance minister Arun Jaitley told reporters.
The decision came after the Congress in its working committee meeting on Tuesday had made it clear that it would not allow the government to convene a special session for passage of the GST Bill.
Calling for political statesmanship on the part of various parties on a measure like GST, Mr Jaitley attacked the Congress, saying its attitude was as if it was trying to punish the people of India for voting them out in the 2014 general election.
Mr Jaitley said the government has tried to reach out to the Opposition and met a number of Congress leaders but the main Opposition party remained adamant on its “obstructionist” attitude while all other Opposition parties are in favour of passing the crucial tax reform legislation.
“We had been talking to Congress leaders and we were hopeful that they would discuss the issue internally and bring about a change in their obstructionist attitude. It is, however, clear now that they will continue with the same attitude. Congress party’s anger seems to be both with the government and the people of India. Their attitude is almost guided by revenge against the people who have reduced them to 44 (in the Lok Sabha),” the minister said.
On being asked whether they have talked to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi, the minister took a dig at the Congress top brass, saying, “We discussed it with their leaders in Parliament and some of their leaders in Parliament are accessible.”
