INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Opposition leaders during the protest on Thursday (Photo Credits: PTI)Leaders of as many as eight Opposition parties held a protest in the
Parliament complex on Thursday against the Centre
The demonstrators demanded that the Government of India clear GST dues owed to various states.Among those present at the protest were
Trinamool Congress (TMC), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK),
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien told reporters that Congress leaders were not invited to take part in the demonstration.Former Uttar Pradesh
chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, NCP MP Supriya Sule, SP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, Shiv Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi,
AAP MP Sanjay Singh, and RJD MP Manoj Jha were among parliamentarians who held placards and demanded that the Centre clear GST dues owed to
states.The demonstrators held placards and banged 'thalis' to register their protest.Opposition leaders during the protest on Thursday
(Photo Credits: PTI)During an informal meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, all parties had asked the government
to hold a debate on Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the Rajya Sabha
This debate is likely to be held on Friday.Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had informed states about a GST revenue gap of Rs 3
While citing "Act of God" as the reason for the shortfall, she had advised the states to opt for borrowing.While some states have accepted
one of the two options presented by the Ministry of Finance, others have refused to budge.Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi had also
raised the issue of GST dues at a virtual meeting of chief ministers earlier this year
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao were not invited for this meet
This could be the reason AAP and TRS were not comfortable with Congress leaders joining the demonstration on Thursday.(With inputs from PTI)
