NEW DELHI, Aug 12:
The Government today hit back at JD-U chief Sharad Yadav over what it termed a “classic case of shooting the messenger” after he claimed that the move by some business houses to ask Parliament to function “vindicated” the charge that the ruling dispensation was for “moneybags”.
“I am surprised at Yadav’s statement. It is a classic case of shooting the messenger.
“Over 18,000 people made the online representation. He says all these are big people and industrialists. Are all these people industrialists? Among those who made the request are Sanjay Baru, professor Piyush Kumar Sinha of IIM-Ahmedabad and Dr Naresh Trehan.
“Is Dr Naresh Trehan a big industrialist? Sanjay Baru was an adviser to former PM. It is the wish of the Indian people. You must congratulate them. They are expressing the wish of the people. People want the Parliament to function,” Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters outside Parliament.
Opposition and treasury benches exchanged sharp barbs after Yadav said the charge that the BJP Government was “a Government for moneybags has been vindicated” in the attack on Parliament by “capitalists”.
The JD(U) leader was referring to an online signature campaign in which over 15,000 people, including the country’s top industrialists, have urged lawmakers to allow Parliament to function, debate and legislate.
Maintaining that people want the GST Bill to be taken up and the economy and standard of living to improve, Naidu said that many people believe that once the GST is rolled out, the GDP of the country will grow by between 1.5 to 2 per cent.
Expressing surprise over Yadav’s statement, Naidu said that the JD-U chief, who was fighting Congress all along, is now “comfortable with Congress party”.
“There is no meaning of the word capitalists Sharad-ji. The world has changed a lot,” the minister said.
Naidu said that the online campaign by India Inc urging Parliament to function and pass the GST Bill is in the larger interest of the country. Congress and parties like JD(U) and CPI(M) today attacked the Government for “using” media and businessmen to hit out at the opposition over the disruptions in Parliament.
Naidu said that while Congress is stalling Parliament, it is not ready to join discussions on GST and explain to the people why it is opposed to GST.
“The country is agitated, concerned rightly about the economy. Instead of appreciating the campaign, trying to find fault with them, saying big industrialists… Sharadji, (the word) capitalists has no meaning today. The world has changed. Making politics out of this is not good,” Naidu said.
The minister also targeted Congress, saying it was looking for a “face saver and an excuse” after disrupting Parliament throughout the monsoon session demanding the ouster of senior BJP leaders who are caught in controversy.
Replying to a question on Congress remarks that had the Government agreed earlier to an adjournment motion, Lok Sabha would have started functioning much before, Naidu said that Congress has so far kept on insisting for “first resignation, then discussion”. (PTI)
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