Rahul says Parliament can’t be run like RSS shakha

Janjivan Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi attack on Modi government and said “Parliament should function, but it needs discussion. It is not like RSS shakha. India is a country with diversity and not a closed system where decisions can be imposed.” Modi cannot brush aside opposition and impose any measure without proper discussion in Parliament, he was reacting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress of holding back India’s development march by stalling Parliament.
“The BJP-led government must realise that Parliament is a forum for discussion and nothing can be imposed without allowing opposition to express its voice and views. It should not brush aside opposition,” the Congress Vice President said during an interaction with mediapersons here.
He was speaking on a day Modi accused Congress of indulging in “negative politics”, saying 40 MPs were “conspiring” and “blocking” parliamentary process, thereby holding back India’s development march.
Claiming that the BJP leadership did not believe in consensus and discussion, Rahul Gandhi said the Modi Government expected Congress to function like a ruling party.
“Being an opposition party, Congress needs to express its views in Parilament as it represents the people and their voice. But, the BJP is not allowing us to present our voice,” the AICC Vice-President said adding senior Congress leaders were prevented from placing their views on GST.
Maintaining that Congress had initiated GST, he said the GST bill has two-three fundamental shortcomings like the maximum tax slab of 25 per cent and the dispute resolution mechanism and there should be proper discussion to address these issues.
Stressing that getting GST bill passed and implementing are two different things, Gandhi said it would take at least two years to ensure proper implementation.
Asked about the winter session of Parliament, Gandhi said Congress defends the interests of the poor, weak, tribals, dalits, farmers and labourers and would continue to do so.
Brushing aside the question on possibility of his being elevated to the post of Congress President, he said, “The way I look at my job, it is to mobilise the party and give it strength and energy.”
Rahul lampoons PM Modi over frequent foreign visits
Congress vice president  lampooned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign trips, by alleging that the latter was now enjoying travelling the world after many nations had lifted the ban on him, giving him the freedom to travel frequently.
“Prime Minister says ‘I went abroad’ but we don’t know where he goes, maybe he is travelling so much because earlier he was banned and now he has got the freedom to visit foreign countries,” said Gandhi.
Criticising Prime Minister Modi for favouring the businessmen, Gandhi said, “If you do something good for the rich, then it is called development, but if you do something good for the poor, it is called as a charity.”
“When we waive off the taxes for the poor they say its anti-development, but when they give five times more than that amount to a businessmen it is called ‘development’,” he added.
Attacking the Centre for not doing enough on financial front, Rahul said ‘this government is puzzled on global economic situation’.
“Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says it is a ‘temporary phenomenon’, I would like to ask him, when this temporary phenomenon would end?” Gandhi said.
“The global prices of oil have come down but the prices of fuel have not been decreased. It is on you to decide where the money is going,” he added.
Gandhi also pointed out that development has to be for everyone including the poor, the backward and not just for a select few and stressed that his party would strive for the development of the underdeveloped.