Cong ready to support GST with changes: Rahul

With the winter session of Parliament virtually going the Monsoon way, thanks to the National Herald issue, there are genuine doubts in government and industry circles over the fate of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) Bill.

The Congress, however, seemed to be trying to wriggle out of its stand of disrupting Parliament last week as former Union minister Kapil Sibal said the party would restart printing the National Herald newspaper, established in 1938 by the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. After the Subramanian committee report on the tax, it appears Jaitley will now be doing that. In effect she and her followers are implying that Sonia is the Congress and the Congress is Sonia.

Gogoi, now into his third consecutive term as chief minister since taking over the reins of the state in 2001, is regarded as the most acceptable face in the party, and one who can keep all the various factions together.

But the National Herald case has put the government back in the driver’s seat. He also requested the Congress to cooperate with the BJP “at least till the next election”. The accused leaders of the Congress Party move the Delhi High Court for quashing, which grants them an interim protection. “Who is threatening judiciary, we all know”.

“I fully support the contention of Congress that the government is behaving in a vindictive way”. “I’m the daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi, I’m not scared of anything”, she said when asked to comment on the Delhi high court’s refusal to grant her and son Rahul exemption from a personal appearance at the trial court.

After the Speaker disallowed him from speaking, TMC members staged a walkout.

“If, after independence, the same model had been continued and the people were made partners, then the dependence on government for everything that we see around us would not have been there”, he said.

Referring to the Herald case, Azad said a notice had been sent by Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the trustees of the “non-profit making” body. By disrupting democracy the financial web created by the Congress leaders can not be undone.

“If they don’t turn up, issue a warrant and send them to jail”, Swamy said in the book-lined study of his South Delhi residence, where case papers were scattered across his desk.

To another question, he said there is no discussion in now on leadership change in the party’s state unit or an alliance with any other party.

He also spoke about his efforts to remove obsolete laws, introduced during British rule, and create an atmosphere of trust between the government and the people.

On Congress protests which resulted in the stalling of proceedings in Parliament, Mr. Gandhi said, “As far as the stalemate in Parliament is concerned, an impression is being given that we (Congress) are not interested on the GST issue”.