NEW DELHI: Attacking the NDA Government in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Congress said the government was encroaching upon the territory of Parliament. Initiating the debate on Finance Bill, 2019, Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury opposed the Bill, saying the legislation amends several Acts which do not come within its ambit.
He said this year two Finance Bills were brought by the government. In the Finance Bill, 2019, he said 18 laws connected with Union Budget, do not relate to taxes. The Congress leader endorsed the objections raised by RSP member N K Premachandran when the bill was taken up for consideration and passing.
He said the government was encroaching the territory of Parliament. A war of words broke out when Rajiv Ranjan Singh of JD-U and BJP members Arjun Meghwal and Rajiv Pratap Rudy raised objection that once the Chair has given its ruling, then why raise the issue
again.
Mr Chowdhury retorted that precedents cannot be treated as sacrosanct. Mr Meghwal said that he cannot challenge the Speaker. Speaker OM Birla pacified the members and the debate proceeded. Mr Chowdhury said earlier amendments to the Finance Bill, 2017 are in the Supreme Court for testing of the constitutional validity of those amendments.
As many as 20-25 bills were under the scrutiny of courts as the government was passing bills in a hurry, he alleged, adding that a plethora of amendments have been brought.
He alleged country’s economy was in shambles and employment figure was too bleak to describe. “Either you move in virtuous circle or vicious circle, you have to decide,” he said.
He questioned the government about the roadmap to progress to a 5-trillion dollar economy.
Referring to Congress governments for a long period in the country, he said, “You cannot say past is a cancelled cheque”. The Congress leader said the present dispensation should not be “boastful as saviour of India” and the situations were not comparable.
He also took a dig at Finance Minister Nirmala Stharaman, who was present in the House, and said “You are my teacher. Don’t take it otherwise.”Mr Chowdhury also said the minister liked “elephants” and “you need wealth to capture wealth.”
Ms Sitharaman in her budget speech has quoted Sangam-era Tamil classic that translated to “ An elephant will be happy to have two mounds of rice from a paddy field. But if it enters land, it will have far less to eat then it will trample.”
Mr Chowdhury also requested the government to withdraw the circular issued on June 24 by the Central Board of Direct Taxes withdrawing the benefit of income tax exemption on the disability pension to military veterans who had retired after serving their full term.
(AGENCIES)
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