BJP justifies online petition of industrialists

The government on Wednesday justified an online petition by Indian industrialists condemning the disruptions in parliament and urging both houses to legislate on issues like the Goods and Services Tax and also criticised JD-U leader Sharad Yadav for slamming them.

"The industrialists are also the citizens of this country and they have every right to comment," union minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters outside parliament.

"There was a consensus on the passage of the GST bill in the Rajya Sabha. Except for the Congress, all other opposition parties have agreed to pass it. But the Congress, which had derailed the country's economic growth during its rule, is now trying to do so by blocking the GST bill," he added.

Senior BJP leader and minister for parliamentary affairs, M. Venkaiah Naidu, criticised the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav.

"I am really surprised about the statement given by our senior friend Sharad Yadav-ji, who was fighting the Congress throughout his life and now is comfortable with them for reasons best known to him. The reaction he gave on India Inc. online campaign requesting that parliament should function and GST Bill should be passed is a classic case of 'shooting the messenger'," Naidu told reporters.

"Instead of appreciating the campaign, he is trying to find fault with them.... You (Sharad Yadav) come from no-Congress lap to Congress' lap. It is not right to do politics on every matter," the minister added.

Sharad Yaday and Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday slammed India Inc., saying it was trying to dictate parliament's functioning.

"How can the corporates dictate the functioning of parliament," Yadav asked in the Rajya Sabha.

He made the remark after the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed an online petition condemning the disruptions in parliament and urging both houses to legislate proposals like the GST.