The Government on Thursday reached out to the Congress on the GST Bill with Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu calling on Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking her support for the passage of the Bill. Naidu also expressed willingness to advance Parliament’s Budget Session so that the constitutional Amendment Bill could be passed on time. However the Congress said there is no breakthrough as the Government has not accepted its demands on the GST Bill.
This is the second major overture by the Government to the top Congress leadership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Sonia and his predecessor Manmohan Singh to tea at his 7 RCR residence on November 27.
Sources said the Government is encouraged by open support announced by a number of regional parties on the GST Bill and contemplating convening the Budget Session earlier than its normal schedule in the third week of February but would like the Congress to be on board on this decision.
After a 20-minute-long meeting with Sonia at her residence, Naidu told reporters that he met the Congress chief in his capacity as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and that he asked her to take a final stand on the two pending Bills relating to GST and Real Estate.
“We invited Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh and discussed with them the GST and other Bills.
In the same context, I as Parliamentary Affairs Minister of the Government today met the Congress president and reminded her that as per the discussion held earlier, the Congress should finalise its stand.
They had raised some issues, which were answered by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
“Since the Government has already spoken to leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress’ Deputy leader in the House Anand Sharma in this regard, I reminded her that a quick decision should be taken and we should move forward immediately on the GST and the Real Estate Bill,” Naidu told newspersons after the meeting.
Naidu said that Sonia told him that she will discuss the issue with her party leaders and get back to the Government.
“I said if you take a positive decision, we can also call the Budget Session early. I merely gave an indication for it. I have not made any commitment (regarding the early session),” the Minister said.
But Congress leader Kapil Sibal said there was no advance movement on the GST impasses. “What proposalIJ There is no proposal from the Government side. If he had to accept our demands why would Finance Minister Arun Jaitley say that shrinking Congress strength in the Rajya Sabha will make GST happen,” party spokesperson Kapil Sibal said.
He also rebuffed suggestions that the Government accepted the demands of the Congress and sent a proposal to Sonia through Naidu. Claiming that the BJP was not ready for any compromise with the Opposition party on the issue, Sibal said, “RSS and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch have red-flagged the reform measure.”
When repeatedly asked why Naidu met Sonia if there was no forward movement on GST, he said, “This is all optics. Naidu came and met Sonia Gandhi. They have to show all this. Had there been anything substantial, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Jaitley would have gone on Twitter now.”