Ready to discuss intolerance issue: Naidu

“Prime Minister expressed happiness over leaders of various parties favouring smooth functioning of Parliament during the Winter Session”, Naidu said.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Congress wished for talks with the government on issues like land and goods and services tax bills but it was not engaging in a dialogue.

“These bills are for reforms in the country and for the development of all”, he said.

“If petroleum and alcohol products are kept out, we could have a revenue-neutral rate of 18 per cent under the GST”, said a senior government official.

The prime minister made a similar appeal in the evening at a meeting attended by leaders of his Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies, and said the government was ready to discuss all issues.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said “the beginning was very good”. “They should do the same”. The AIADMK has problems with the bill, and the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister have tried to reach out to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayaliathaa. The Congress mainly sought a few changes in the GST Bill. “The government has condemned those incidents as they go against the traditional and highly cherished values of tolerance”, he said. The opposition would also want to corner the government on many other issues, such as the state of the economy, prices of essential commodities and growing distress in the farm sector after two consecutive droughts.

“Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will speak to all parties to address their doubt on GST legislation”, Naidu, quoting Modi, said.In his various trips overseas, PM Modi has assured the foreign investors of making the GST a reality by 2016. Sources say that Congress wants the inclusion of tobacco and electricity under the GST regime, which are so far exempted.

Assuring Opposition members on this count, Naidu said, “government is ready to discuss all issues including that of the so-called intolerance though it falls in the domain of states”. BJP parliamentary party executive and NDA constituents will meet later at the Prime Minister’s residence followed by an all-party meeting called by the Speaker. Yechury had said that six Left parties, including CPI(M), would also hold protests, both inside and outside the House, on the “hate offensive” by BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits.

“The session can not be restricted to one bill of the government”.

Summary: If the productivity of Lok Sabha was 48 percent, it was a shameful nine percent in the Rajya Sabha.

“He said that all the parties have overwhelmingly welcomed the two day Special sittings to discuss ‘Commitment to the Constitution as part of the 125th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Dr B R Ambedkar”.