Soon after Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian came out with his recommendations on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, the Congress toughened its stand saying that since there was no “further reach out” from the ruling BJP, the chances of the Bill’s passage in Parliament look bleak.
“We would like a proper response from the government rather than the news emanating from media,” said Congress spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“By planting news in the media and not communicating with the Opposition the BJP is achieving nothing but hurting the prospects of the GST in Parliament.”
Mr. Surjewala brushed aside Mr. Subramanian’s recommendations on the GST and said “there will be no compromise” on the three demands the Congress had put forward. The party seeks scrapping of the proposed levy of one per cent additional tax on goods, 18% cap on standard tax and introduction of robust accountability measures.
Last week’s meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi seems to have achieved nothing as the party spokesperson called it a “mere photo-op.”
“The meeting was cosmetic to send out a wrong message that — ‘we reached out to the opposition,’” Mr. Surjewala said.
A senior Congress leader told The Hindu that Mr. Subramanian’s recommendations wouldn’t break the deadlock between the government and the Opposition.
“Because for us the advice of the parliamentary committee [on GST] is weightier than the economic adviser’s recommendations,” he said.
