Agreement on 3 conditions and 15 minutes is all that is required to pass GST Bill

Rahul Gandhi tells govt to start talking as GST is good

GN Bureau | January 16, 2016



Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has 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.

"Compromise with the government is possible on GST, it is by sitting 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 hin Mumbai.

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."

Rahul Gandhi also criticized the Narendra Modi government, saying there is a contradiction in pushing for start-ups and being “intolerant”.

He said that the RSS has a very “rigid vision” for India and that start ups require free movement of ideas.

“The ruling dispensation, particularly the RSS, has a clear idea on what the world should look like. They have a vision for India which in my opinion is a very rigid vision. This country requires flexibility, openness and movement of ideas,” Gandhi said, during an interaction with management students in suburban Vile Parle here.

“There’s a huge contradiction in saying I want start ups but I will be intolerant,” the Congress leader said.

“You will fail on the economy and start up front if you are intolerant,” he said.

“Start ups require free movement of ideas. If I say you are a woman and your place is in the kitchen, I am curbing your freedom,” he said. He also charged that the BJP categorises people.

 “The BJP has categories: There’s a Hindu for them, a Muslim for them, a woman for them. I don’t categorise. That’s the difference between us and them,” he said. Rahul asked students not to put labels on people, things and industries.

“Saying this is a Hindu, this is a Muslim, this is a woman…hides values,” he said, adding, “When Steve Jobs was asked what was the most important class you took, he said: Japanese calligraphy”.

Asked how could India help provide conducive atmosphere for start ups, Gandhi said, “Start ups require a whole set of eco systems that allows entrepreneurs to grow including infrastructure and regulation. The biggest problem is red tape.”

“Today, if you are a Rs 10000 crore company, you can’t easily get finance. If you are a big business, you can get around regulations and put pressure on politicians,” he said.

Comments

 

Other News

Here’s an I.D.E.A. for career growth and success

Success in today’s professional organisation is no longer solely determined by academic qualifications, technical expertise or years of experience. While these attributes do matter, organisations increasingly value individuals who demonstrate the right mindset and behavioural qualities. The ability

PM interacts with CEOs, founders of space startups

Prime minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and Founders of 20 Space Startups at Seva Teerth on Friday.   CEOs of leading companies in the space sector working in diverse fields ranging from building rockets and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satelli

From one cow to a dairy business

In 2012, Anita Dash wasn`t dreaming of building a dairy brand. She wasn`t studying business models or planning market expansion. Like countless mothers across India, her focus was on something much simpler: giving her children a better future.   At the time, her most valuable

Ethanol blending: The two sides of a story

India`s crude oil consumption is estimated to be around 88.5% imported from abroad. This one single figure is also responsible for why ethanol has become both an economic strategy and fuel policy at the same time. In an economy like India, which depends so heavily on foreign oil, any increase in internat

Food inflation: Not a macroeconomic statistic but a developmental indicator

India`s retail inflation shows a reassuring picture at first glance. According to the latest data, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation edged up to 4.38% in June 2026 from 3.93% in May 2026, but continued to remain within the Reserve Bank of India`s (RBI) target band of 4% (+/- 2%). However, beneath this

Skin in the game or masterful market timing?

When a company founder opens their personal chequebook to buy shares in their own business, stock markets usually applaud. To the average retail investor, it feels like the ultimate vote of confidence, a sign that the people running the show have real skin in the game and believe brighter days are ahead.

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter