Opposition stalling pro-poor laws

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a frontal attack on the Opposition on Thursday, stressing that by disrupting the functioning of Parliament, the Opposition was not just blocking the passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax Bill that, he stressed, would be decided “in consultation with everybody”, but also pro-poor laws. Mr. Modi’s speech comes in the wake of the controversy over the National Herald case and accusations that the Congress that was coming round to backing the GST Bill after the government’s overtures would now block it. The Prime Minister, who was  pointed out that since Parliament was not functioning, another law intended for the poor — to enhance the bonus amount of the poor in jobs from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 7,000 — was hanging fire as well. “This also seeks to increase the salary ceiling for giving bonuses from the existing Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 21,000. Is this not directly a work for the poor?” he asked. Taking a swipe at the Congress, which has disrupted both Houses of Parliament over the National Herald case this week, Mr. Modi said democracy could not be restricted to elections and governments alone and that one of the two main dangers before it was Mantantra (functioning as per one’s whims and fancies) with the other being “Dhantantra” (money power). “The country does not run on this basis. Whatever you may think, but the system does not run like this.”