GST bill: Cong attacks BJP over fin minister's meeting with

The Opposition Congress in Maharashtra today took a dim view of the state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar calling on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence here, in a bid to garner the party's support for the ratification of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill.
"What is the need to convene a special session of the state legislature (later this month) if Thackeray is to take a decision regarding the passage of the GST?" asked Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil.
He said, "If Mungantiwar needs to discuss the GST, he should do it with his ministerial colleagues from the Shiv Sena. However, the government is going to Uddhav's home, which shows that Sena ministers have no say in the decision-making in the government".

After meeting Thackeray, Mungantwar said the Sena chief was apprised that the GST will have substantial provisions that will make sure the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ruled by the Sena, does not lose out on any revenue.
The opposition leader alleged that Uddhav had time to "protect the financial interests of his party in the Mumbai civic body, but doesn't want to discuss farm loan waiver for farmers with the government".
"This proves what Sena's objectives and policies are," he said.

Vikhe Patil alleged that Sena's ongoing 'Shiv Sampark Abhiyaan' was actually aimed at "finding prospective candidates for the next Assembly polls and not for welfare of farmers as being projected by the party".

The Congress leader also attacked the state unit BJP president Raosaheb Danve for his remarks wherein he had asked the opposition to submit in writing that the loan waiver will stop suicides by farmers.
"There can be no insensitive comment than this. Instead, the government should give a guarantee that the state will never face a natural calamity. The government should also guarantee that the farmers will get procurement price which will ensure 50 per cent profit on the total agriculture production cost," he said.