Under UPA, PSU banks were run from 24, Akbar Road: Jaitley

FM says former PMs expected to be non-partisan, render constructive advice

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday that the Congress’ demand for changes in the Constitution amendment Bill for the goods and services tax (GST) was politically motivated. In a Facebook post, he also asked former prime minister Manmohan Singh to “advise” his party, the Congress, that its demands for a “constitutional cap” on GST tariffs were inconsistent with the country’s Constitution.

Jaitley also said that public sector banks under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule were run not by their boards or from North Block but from the Congress headquarters at New Delhi’s 24, Akbar Road.

The finance minister’s post followed the former prime minister’s interview to the India Today magazine. In the interview, which was published on Friday, Singh had said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was half-hearted in reaching out to the Congress on important issues, including on GST.

In his response, Jaitley disagreed with the former prime minister’s assessment about GST. “On consultations with the Opposition, almost all political parties, except the Congress, support the GST. The Congress has done a volte-face. Both the parliamentary affairs minister [M Venkaiah Naidu] and I have discussed the GST with every senior Congress leader in Parliament,” the finance minister said.

He added that the “economist in Dr Singh should advise his party that tariffs are not provided for in the Constitution”.

The finance minister also said that “former presidents and prime ministers rarely speak, but when they do, the nation should listen to them with rapt attention. They represent the wisdom of the nation. They are expected to be non-partisan, render constructive advice and at times send a powerful message even to their own political party to act in broader national interest.”

Jaitley said that he has “consistently” held Singh in “high respect”, and expected such a non-partisan approach from him. On Singh’s critique of the government, Jaitley hinted at the BJP’s criticism of the former prime minister having been “controlled” by the Congress’ first family during his tenure and several scams that hit the UPA in its last few years.

The finance minister said that many stalled infrastructure projects have started moving in the 20 months of the BJP-led government at the Centre. “India’s journey is from ‘policy-paralysis’ to a global ‘bright-spot’, as the fastest growing economy moves on notwithstanding major challenges,” he wrote.