New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has slammed Congress President Sonia Gandhi for hitting a new low during Monsoon session of parliament.
In his latest blog titled “THE MONSOON SESSION - IS IT INDIA'S LOSS?” Jaitley points out that for the first time a senior-most leader of a mainstream party jumped into the well of the House.
“Even the pretext of stature and dignity was not maintained,” Jaitley said.Launching a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, Jaitley writes in his blog, “the more he grows, the more he immatures.”
Jaitley also says that ‘national interest' does not figure out in the priority list of the Congress party.
Here goes the full text of Arun Jaitley's latest blog:
THE MONSOON SESSION - IS IT INDIA'S LOSS?
ARUN JAITLEY
The scheduled Monsoon Session of Parliament has concluded today. Politically, this session was very educative but, frustrating. Parliament represents the best in Indian democracy. ‘Parliamentary paralysis without an issue' signifies the vulnerability of the system.
The importance of GST need not be overstated. It converts the whole country into one economic market. It facilitates the smooth and seamless transfer of goods and services. It reduces harassment and corruption.
It mandates a uniform tax regime. It eliminates ‘Tax on Tax'. It adds buoyancy to tax revenue and has a favourable impact on the GDP.
The GST has received consistent support from most mainstream parties. The Congress / UPA government announced this idea in 2006 and it introduced the Bill in 2011. Today, it seeks to go back on the GST. The objections in the Congress Party's dissent note are contradictory and trivial.
The Parliamentary numbers are loaded against the Congress. It, therefore, relies on disturbance and lung power to prevent its consideration by the Rajya Sabha. The Congress is well aware that any delay in passage of the Constitution Amendment which has been accepted by most States will result in at least one year's delay.
That appears to be the Congress' strategy. National interest is least on its priority.The Congress party has exhibited that it continues to be enslaved to a family.
It is willing to compromise national interest and policy merely because the family is unable to digest its electoral defeat in 2014. India's loss in this Session is not Congress party's gain. There is popular disapproval of its policies of ‘disruption without a cause'. The debate in Lok Sabha yesterday clearly demonstrated the hollowness of Congress party's argument.
The Congress party President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, hit a new low. It is for the first time that a senior-most leader of a mainstream party has jumped into the well of the House.
Even the pretext of stature and dignity was not maintained. As for Shri Rahul Gandhi, there was no serious expectation that he would raise the level of the debate. He has failed to recognise the difference between sloganeering and a Parliamentary speech. The more he grows, the more he immatures.
Aggressive body language is never a substitute for substance. It is the NDA Government which brought a tough law against illegal foreign assets. It is the NDA Government which is taking effective steps to bring to book the alleged offender around whom the present controversy is centred.
This Session has educated and enlightened public opinion that India's economic interests are being held to ransom by the political frustration of the Congress party.
India stands educated, though frustrated. The anger emerging out of this frustration will provide India the answer to face this challenge.
