Cong should shed negativity: Naidu

Accusing Congress of making Parliament "dysfunctional" during the last two sessions, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today hit out at the opposition party for its "dodgy" stance on GST and asked it to shed "negativity".
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the government is willing to "walk the extra mile" to take opposition on board and voiced hope that the GST Bill will be passed during the Budget session as "the first positive assertion" of the collective will for building a new India.
"While the government was working overtime to infuse positive energies virtually into every aspect of nation building, some opposition parties were bent upon unleashing negative energies during 2015.

"Parliament was virtually made dysfunctional during the Monsoon and Winter sessions of last year. GST Bill was the major victim of this negativity. Introduction of GST would make a substantial difference to the way business is done in our country. Unfortunately, the original authors of this major reform did not see the urgency in making this a reality," Naidu said interacting with the media here.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister also hit back at former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who had targeted the government yesterday.
"I was taken aback by the comments of Chidambaram yesterday when he said that the economy is stuck in a groove and blamed the government for stand off on GST. This was not expected of a man of wisdom like Chidambaram. How can the fastest growing global economy can be described as stuck in a grove, particularly, when this accomplishment is in the context of adverse global economic setting?

"As Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I would like to strongly rebut Chidambaram's allegation blaming the government for standoff on GST," Naidu said.

While refusing to go into details of his interactions with senior Congress leaders from time to time on the GST issue, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister alleged, "All that I can assert with all responsibility is that Congress party steadfastly refused from its pre-Winter session script of not allowing GST Bill to be passed, come what may."
Naidu alleged that as per the "script", the Congress was "dodgy" on this important issue.
"I did not expect this from a party that ruled the country for most of the time since Independence. This kind of negativity has huge implications for the future of our country and its people. This attitude and approach will seriously dent our collective efforts to make the 21st century belong to India.

"Opposition can take the government to task for omissions and commissions if any on our part. But stalling Parliament and legislation for political ends will not benefit the people of the country," he said and appealed to Congress to give up its "negativity that was in full show in 2015" and make positive contribution to nation building in 2016.
Naidu expressed the hope that the new year will mark the
beginning of an era of "positive politics".
Asserting that intent, intensity and innovation which are key to making a new India have been clearly articulated over the last 19 months, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister claimed India has emerged as the focus of global attention.

"We have overtaken China as the fastest growing economy and the bright spot amidst slowing global economic forecasts. To enable the people and particularly, the 800 million youth who are the future of the nation fulfill their aspiration, economy needs to be fixed on a high growth path. Opportunities flow from rapid economic development.
"FDI inflows have risen by about 40 per cent during the last one year. Foreign Institutional Investments have risen seven times. Manufacturing sector grew by about seven per cent and capital goods sector by over 21 per cent. This was against the negative growth recorded during the previous UPA regime," Naidu said seeking to rebut Chidambaram's charges.

Blaming NDA's 'stubborn and unbending' attitude for GST logjam, Chidambaram said the ball was in Government's court even as he targeted the ruling dispensation over the handling of economy, which the party claimed was "stuck in a groove".
Chidambaram said 2015 has ended on a "somber and subdued note" and many promises of the government -- more jobs, greater investment and quicker infrastructure development -- have not materialised
"...The economy is stuck in a groove," he said.
Countering the charges vehemently, Naidu said that Congress was "totally unfair" in alleging that nothing happened during the last 19 months.
"If they seek to see everything through political prism, they will never be able to see the truth. But the people know what is being done by the government and what is happening on the ground," he said.

Alleging that India in early 2014 was marked by "drift, directionlessness and dampening of spirits", Naidu said that the government led by Modi sought to address this legacy through several initiatives.
"Make in India is one of the pillars of this approach. The Prime Minister has infused new life into this campaign by inviting global attention to the virtues of India as a favoured manufacturing hub and the results have begun to flow.
"The government has sincerely endeavored to infuse new energy into virtually every aspect of socio-political and economic aspect for making of a developed India," Naidu said.