File photo: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
New Delhi:
Congress was not against the Good and Services Tax bill, but the support of the party, which has suggested four amendments to the BJP's draft, was vital to get it passed in the Rajya Sabha, senior leader Jairam Ramesh said today.
"GST is in national interest but in 2011 when it was tabled in Parliament, BJP had opposed it because of one person, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi," Mr Ramesh said.
He said that the same person as the Prime Minister today does not want the Congress to take credit which drafted the original bill, and advocates its importance.
Listing the amendments his party wants in the bill, he said, fixing tax rate, compensation for nagarpalikas and panchayats and setting up of an independent dispute settlement system is vital.
"We have told the government about these amendments but they have not agreed to them till now... the Goods and Service Tax should be good and simple tax but Modi and (Arun) Jaitley's tax is neither good nor simple," he said.
"GST is in national interest but in 2011 when it was tabled in Parliament, BJP had opposed it because of one person, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi," Mr Ramesh said.
He said that the same person as the Prime Minister today does not want the Congress to take credit which drafted the original bill, and advocates its importance.
Listing the amendments his party wants in the bill, he said, fixing tax rate, compensation for nagarpalikas and panchayats and setting up of an independent dispute settlement system is vital.
"We have told the government about these amendments but they have not agreed to them till now... the Goods and Service Tax should be good and simple tax but Modi and (Arun) Jaitley's tax is neither good nor simple," he said.
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