File Photo: Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
Kolkata:
Mocking the Congress' demand over the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that the "entire politics of the Congress has now come down to whether it is a recognised opposition or an unrecognised opposition".
"From 1952, till most of the time when neither of the Opposition political parties had the 55-seat benchmark, did they bother to give the position of Leader of Opposition to the opposition parties. Now they are asking (us) to change the rule," said Mr Jaitley.
He said the previous UPA regime did not have the courage to take decisions.
"The previous Congress governments did not have the courage to take decisions. When you are running a country, at times you have to take hard decisions," he said.
Mr Jaitley said the decision to raise railway fares was taken by the previous UPA regime and it was implemented by the new government.
"The decision to raise railway fares was taken by the previous UPA regime, but was withheld till May, when a new government was supposed to take over. On May 16, the Railway Board implemented that decision, when the results (of the Lok Sabha polls) were coming out," he said.
Later on, the then Railway Minister Mallikaarjun Kharge decided to hold the decision and "put it (the onus) on the BJP government," Mr Jaitley said.
"So when the decision was implemented by us, then the Congress raised questions on why the fares are raised. My question is, the decision was taken by the Congress, but was implemented by us. Because the question was whether you want to save the railways or not," Mr Jaitley said.
"From 1952, till most of the time when neither of the Opposition political parties had the 55-seat benchmark, did they bother to give the position of Leader of Opposition to the opposition parties. Now they are asking (us) to change the rule," said Mr Jaitley.
He said the previous UPA regime did not have the courage to take decisions.
"The previous Congress governments did not have the courage to take decisions. When you are running a country, at times you have to take hard decisions," he said.
Mr Jaitley said the decision to raise railway fares was taken by the previous UPA regime and it was implemented by the new government.
"The decision to raise railway fares was taken by the previous UPA regime, but was withheld till May, when a new government was supposed to take over. On May 16, the Railway Board implemented that decision, when the results (of the Lok Sabha polls) were coming out," he said.
Later on, the then Railway Minister Mallikaarjun Kharge decided to hold the decision and "put it (the onus) on the BJP government," Mr Jaitley said.
"So when the decision was implemented by us, then the Congress raised questions on why the fares are raised. My question is, the decision was taken by the Congress, but was implemented by us. Because the question was whether you want to save the railways or not," Mr Jaitley said.
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