GST will be cleared when govt agrees to our terms: Rahul

Image
Press Trust of India Mumbai
Last Updated : Jan 16 2016 | 1:07 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi today said that the Congress will support the Goods and Service Taxes bill in Parliament and help pass it in just "15 minutes" once government accepts the conditions set by his party.
The Congress Vice President said a "compromise with the government is possible on GST, it is by siting across the table, the government is not taking it".
"The day the conditions are accepted, we will pass the GST. It will take just 15 minutes," he said during an interaction with management students here.
Asked about roadblocks in implementation of GST bill, Gandhi said, "It was Congress which brought in the GST legislation. The BJP then stopped GST in Parliament for seven years. Jaitley then did not allow it to pass. Narendra Modi, as CM of Gujarat, did not allow GST to pass."
"We don't want a GST where there's no cap on taxes. We want a limitation on the maximum tax that can be charged. Also, dispute resolution must be fair and neutral. I don't think its wrong of us to say that," Gandhi said.
"Jaitley doesn't have to tell me GST is good.I know its good. He doesn't have to tell me its good," Gandhi said,
"Jaitley had earlier said in an interview in England that it was the strategy of BJP to block Parliament. It is not the strategy of Congress to block Parliament," Gandhi said.
Asked what could the government do to help farmers battling agrarian crisis and deficient rainfall, Gandhi said "We have made a slow transition from agricultural economy to knowledge economy and industry economy."
"During UPA regime, we got a backlash on NREGA saying why were we doing this. Agriculture is a problem not just for the farmer but for industry also. When we were in government we had a strategy of supporting the farmers," he said.
"Agriculture has become volatile. As a nation we have to support this sector. We were firm on giving minimum support price (MSP) to farmers," he said.
"Sadly our current government has lost its focus. They are focusing not so much on farmers, not so much on agriculture," Gandhi said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 16 2016 | 1:07 PM IST

Next Story