New Delhi: Faced with nearly two weeks of logjam in Parliament, the government on Tuesday adopted a belligerent stance and got the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, the new amnesty scheme for black money, passed in the Lok Sabha without discussion amid protests by Opposition members.
While the Opposition termed it as a “black day”, the government said it had to get the Bill passed in view of “urgency”. It was apparent that the back channel talks to break the standoff had failed.
Demand for demonetisation debate shot down by Speaker
The Opposition MPs, who were shouting slogans demanding a discussion on the demonetisation drive under a rule which entails voting, were in for a shock when finance minister Arun Jaitely got up to make his opening remarks on taking up the Bill for consideration and passage.
Amid slogan-shouting and protests, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan ruled that the Bill be passed without discussion and without pressing for amendments that needed presidential assent in view of the “urgency of the Bill”.
Many Opposition MPs who had moved amendments to the Bill then raised points of order, which were again overruled by the Speaker and the Bill was passed within minutes.
Under the proposed Taxation and Investment Regime for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana 2016, people who voluntarily declare their black money in cash and bank deposits will have to pay 50 per cent in taxes (tax, surcharge and penalty) and 25 per cent of the total income declared will be locked in for four years.
The money will be locked in an interest-free deposit scheme for four years, which will be notified by the RBI under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme 2016.
The Opposition was up in arms against what it called the strong-arm tactics of the government. “The government used its brute majority in the Lower House to push the Bill through,” Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.
The Opposition members in the Upper House claimed that the NDA government was pushing the laws as money bills in order to bypass the Rajya Sabha, which does not have the power to block such laws.
Congress’ Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, “We want that the Income-Tax Amendment Act should come through the rules. The amendments proposed by the Opposition MPs and leaders should also be kept in mind before taking the assent from the President.””
Trinamul leader Saugata Roy said, “The government has been totally undemocratic, dictatorial, authoritarian in passing such an important Bill without discussion amid din. It has taken advantage of its superior numbers to avoid a discussion.”
