PM attacks Congress for not allowing passage of GST Bill

After Sonia Gandhi’s Tuesday’s remark that the Prime Minister has been “reduced to unedifying flip flops” and that his poll promises were nothing more than “hawabaazi” (empty talk), it was Modi’s turn today to hit back as he coined the term “hawalabaaz” (scamsters) to get even. “We will fight for your cause”, he said.

Gandhi emphasized that farmer suicides were rising as NDA has been neglecting them since it came to power over a year ago. They are sensing the danger hovering around them.

Bargarh (Odisha): Mounting a scathing attack on BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for “neglecting” farmers, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi regime of “trying to snatch land from poor peasants and hand them over to corporates”.

“They did not let Parliament work… the “hawalabaaz” are troubled by law passed against black money”, he said.

The industry leaders who attended the brain storming session with Modi on “Recent global events: Opportunities for India” were Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Tata Group head Cyrus P Mistry, Aditya Birla Group head Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Airtel and ITC chief Y C Deveshwar. “The minister also said that the Congress” non-cooperation on GST Bill in Parliament was not in the interest and welfare of people and was against democracy.

“We had to hear such barbs”. “We faced defeat in 1984”.

“We did not put the blame on others. I hope that our friends in Congress, instead of giving lame excuses, will understand the need for legislation”, Naidu said. “Today, the nation has given us a majority (in Lok Sabha)”. “Industry has a role to play”, CII president Sumit Mazumder told reporters after the meeting of Prime Minister with CEOs, bankers, economists and bureaucrats on the global economic slowdown.

He said that his government was bringing changes at the ground level without any publicity.

There are two theories here: First, Mr Gandhi is facing a lot of resistance from the old guard while putting together his team of relatively new and young leaders and, hence, the delay in the election; and second, the vice president himself is reluctant to take charge at a time when the party is in a tough spot.

The Rs 19,000 crore will now go to government’s coffers, he said.