Congress to target Nitin Gadkari to counter government's GST strategy

NEW DELHI: The Congress has decided to use the recent CAG report indicting a company linked to senior Union minister Nitin Gadkari to paralyse the remaining days of the Rajya Sabha session to counter the government’s strategy to push the GST bill through. The strategy was evident on Friday, when Congress members forced six adjournments demanding Gadkari’s resignation.

“It is up to the PM to decide whether he wants Gadkari’s continuation in Cabinet or refer GST Bill to select panel,” said a Congress leader knowing well that RSS-backed Gadkari was no push-over.

By suddenly raising a past issue of CAG report indicting the Purthi group of companies Congress managed to rally regional parties such as Janata Parivar parties, TMC etc after the government had weaned them away from the Congress side on the GST bill.

Having managed enough support to cross the half-way mark in the Rajya Sabha to defeat the Congress demand for referring the GST bill to select committee would have left the Congress either to walkout or vote against the GST bill despite “being in support of the bill in principle”. By the ‘sack-Gadkari’ plan Congress seeks to tide over the tricky choices.

Congress MP Shantaram Naik raised the issue of Purti ‘not paying its dues’ on Friday, during zero hour. His fellow MPs trooped into the well, shouting slogans, “Gadkari should resign” and “corrupt minister, down down!”

Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma said, “when the ruling party was in the Opposition CAG reports used to be Ramayan and Gita. Now the PM should come to the House and give an answer.” Opposition leader Azad then pitched: “This is a CAG report and on earlier occasions a number of heads have rolled.” JD(U) and Left parties also backed the demand for Gadkari's head. The government defended Gadkari and maintained that it was ready for a discussion on corruption but there is no provision for discussing a CAG report.