Digvijay Singh asks Centre to accept UPA's GST proposals

HAVERI (KARNATAKA): Congress will support the Centre if it accepts in toto the GST provisions proposed by the previous UPA government, but it is the NDA government's responsibility to talk to the Opposition and resolve the matter, senior leader Digvijay Singh said today.

"We will support NDA government if it accepts in toto the Goods and Service Tax (GST) provisions proposed by the previous UPA government," he told PTI on the sidelines of Rahul Gandhi's padayatra in Haveri district as part of his outreach to farmers in distress.

Asked whether there would be another bout of stalemate in the next Parliament session, Singh said it is the responsibility of the central government to discuss it with the opposition parties to arrive at an amicable solution.

"It is the responsibility of the government of India, whoever is in power, to discuss with the opposition parties, and arrive at an amicable solution. The issues we are raising are constructive suggestions and those should be addressed," he said.

On whether the government has sent any feelers to resolve the matter, Singh said it might have spoken to Congress leaders, including the party President.

"They have not spoken to me, but they must have spoken to opposition leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, besides the Congress president," he remarked.

Singh questioned the NDA government's move to first change some of the provisions under the Land Bill as proposed by UPA, and then accept in toto after the Congress took the battle against it inside and outside Parliament.

He said Centre could do so in the case of GST as well.

Asked whether caste politics compared to development politics of Modi, works wonders for the Congress-Nitish Kumar-Lalu alliance, Singh said, "As far as Congress party is concerned, it had not played caste and communal politics. To fight with BJP, you have to align with the secular party."

On Rahul's padayatra in Haveri district, Singh said the Congress is extremely concerned with the farming community as BJP and Modi's focus is urban and rich-centric.

Modi never talks about farmers and has reduced allocations of fertiliser subsidy, MNREGA, irrigation, health and education schemes, Singh said, adding hence there is lot of discontent among a few communities, especially farmers.