Post 'farmer-GST' jibe, BJP reminds Rahul Gandhi of "Parliamentary procedures"

After Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Centre alleging that it was not willing to discuss farmers' issues in Parliament and that its decision to implement the GST was taken in haste, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the Congress vice-president should "mature" himself as a parliamentarian and try to raise relevant issues in the Parliament.

"Rahul Gandhi cannot follow the footstep of Mayawati. I think he should grow up at least now. There are parliamentary procedures to put your point of view and take the issue for a debate. Instead of making these kind of remarks he should mature himself as a parliamentarian and try to raise relevant issue in the parliament to bring notice of the ruling party," BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI.

Echoing similar views, another BJP leader Zafar Islam accused Rahul of misleading the people and dividing the society.

"Rahul Gandhi is once again attempting to what he is best at, to mislead people, to divide the society. He once again he made statement on GST which is very different from what the truth is. GST is meant for everyone....secondly he is talking about farmers loan waivers, it is us who have waived the loan.... we are trying to solve the problem and they are trying to politics it," he said.

Rahul yesterday questioned the government as to why his party and other members of the opposition were not being allowed to speak about issues related to farmers' in the Parliament.

"For the Goods and Services Tax (GST) roll-out, Parliament was open till midnight, but to talk on farmers' issues, they won't do the same. Today in the Lok Sabha we wanted to speak on the farmers' issues, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present there, but we were not allowed to speak," Gandhi said at a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara district.

He added that the opposition had suggested to the government not to pass the GST in a hurry, but they did not listen.

"Big traders have no issues with this GST as they can employ ten accountants and fill as many forms, but the small traders will suffer," Gandhi said.

He said that during his election campaign in 2014, Prime Minister Modi had promised to help farmers but it was not fulfilled.