With the Opposition expected to raise the intolerance issue during the debate, government floor managers are preparing the BJP’s counter offensive.
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Mr Naidu said such incidents lie in the domain of state governments who are vested with the responsibility of maintaining law and order.
“We are hopeful to get Congress support for the passage of important reform Bills, which are in national interest”, he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the all-party meeting today (Wednesday) that the GST legislation is in the interest of the nation”, Naidu said.
Communication Minister Ravishankar Prasad hoped that Opposition would also cooperate in smooth discussions in the House.
The possible Congress attitude towards GST dominated the curtain-raiser to the Parliament session as the government has listed the tax legislation as its top priority in the short winter session, having run into the Congress wall on the earlier occasion. The Congress want a discussion and a reply from the prime minister on the issue. We played the role of a constructive opposition when we were in the opposition.
“The opposition will be cooperating with the government but it is for the government to accommodate the viewpoints of the opposition”, he said.
Replying to a query whether the party will support the passage of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, Azad said his party would support the passage, but after certain amendments.
FPJ has learnt that government managers are banking on the opposition showing signs of a divide over the GST Bill.
The winter session, which ends on December 23, will have 38 legislative items including seven new bills for introduction during its 20 sittings spread across 28 days.
The Congress said it had an open mind on GST.
While one statement spoke of government planning to reach out to the opposition, the other dismissed Congress objections as “preposterous”, Azad said, adding that the government then said the issue would be discussed with them. There are other political issues on which we can fight but GST has been pending for the last seven years.
NDA ministers discussed legislative proposals to be brought before consideration in both the Houses which include three Bills relating to replacement of ordinances, GST Bill, Real Estate Regulation Bill etc.
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Based on senior party strategists, the Congress waited for the federal government to react to the problems before creating its next thing raised because of it. The outcry over intolerance, the Dadri lynching, BJP’s inability to rein in Hindutva hotheads who regularly come out with communally inflammatory statements are all likely to feature prominently in parliamentary debate.
