Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu seeks Congress support for passage of GST Bill

HYDERABAD: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today asked Congress to rethink on its strategy and requested the party to support the government in passage of goods and services tax ( GST) bill, as it will help in accelerating economic growth by about 1.5 to 2 per cent.

"They (Congress) should know they have been defeated and he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) has been given a mandate. He has come on to stay. As Parliamentary Affairs Minister I request them (Congress) to rethink on its strategy and support the government to ensure passage of GST Bill in Parliament," Naidu told reporters here.

"Congress should support to help pass the Bill as it is useful for growth and development of the country. Indian economic growth rate this year is expected to be around 7 to 8 per cent and if this Bill is passed it will ensure increase of an additional growth of about 1.5 to 2 per cent," he said.

After Parliament gives its approval to the GST Bill in Winter Session, the state Assemblies will have to ratify this Bill, Naidu said.

"While in power they (Congress) took country backwards and now in opposition they are stopping us to take country forward," Naidu said.

Replying to a query, he said RSS does not intervene in politics

"It is the swayam sevaks who can contest elections," he said.

"Bihar ka chunav, vikas nahi toh vinash, kya chahiye iske upar ho raha hain. (The Bihar elections are happening on development or destruction). People (of Bihar) have seen destruction under the rule of Laluji ( Lalu Prasad Yadav) and Congress. People are seeing how under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi development is happening across different states and they are now getting opportunity," he said.

"I am confident that people of Bihar will vote on the issue of development and Bharatiya Janata Party alliance will get full majority in the Bihar elections," the minister said.