JOIN US The Congress did not move any amendments on the four GST bills that were passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday as former prime minister Manmohan Singh advised the party to go for a “consensus” on the legislation.
“I was advised by the former prime minister not to move the amendments so that the fine consensus (on GST) is not disturbed and federal agreement is maintained,” Congress member Jairam Ramesh explained to the House the reason for not moving amendments.
T Subirami Reddy, a Congress member, who had given a prior notice proposing several amendments, was absent in the House.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram did not speak on the bill even after his name was announced by Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien.
The Rajya Sabha passed the bills paving the way for the rolling out of a new indirect tax regime from July 2017.
Statesmen vs politician
“I want to make a distinction between the former prime minister, who is a statesman and the present prime minister, who is a politician. The former prime minister persuaded me not to go ahead with my amendments,” said Ramesh, who served as a key minister in the Manmohan Singh dispensation.
The Congress leader made it clear that his remarks were targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his dig at Singh in Parliament.
Modi had earlier referred to Singh as someone “adept at bathing with a raincoat on” — a clear reference to the scams Singh’s reign.