New Delhi, May 27: Strongly rebutting the charge that cases involving Congress functionaries were driven by political vendetta, finance minister Arun Jaitley said he was ready to present evidence regarding serving and former chief ministers and Congress heavyweights in Parliament so that the issues could be debated at the earliest opportunity.
"In each of those cases, which have come to surface...I am open to a debate in Parliament. If Congress wants, we can place before Parliament evidence against a sitting Congress CM, a former Congress CM and his family who is leading the campaign in Punjab, a family member of an important former Union minister, the National Herald case and AgustaWestland (Choppergate)," Jaitley told TOI in an exclusive interview.
"When Congress raised allegations against Vasundhara Raje (Rajasthan CM) and (foreign minister) Sushma Swaraj (in the Lalit Modi case) we agreed to a debate in Parliament," Jaitley said.
Jaitley was alluding to a disproportionate assets case against Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh, the National Herald case relating to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, a foreign accounts probe into former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's kin and the income tax investigation into former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti. With Choppergate throwing up references to top Congress leaders, Sonia had said the government had launched a campaign of character assassination.
aitley also said the government plans to keep its foot on the reforms pedal. "GST is top of the agenda. Company law amendments have to be rectified, they are before a standing committee. The SARFAESI (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Finan cial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act) and DRT (Debts Recovery Tribunal) amendments are there. Then there is the CAMPA (afforestation fund management) law. As part of the legislation on black money , the benami law is coming," he said.
The finance minister said the wait for Congress to come on board for GST would not be indefinite. In case Congress did not give up its reservations, a vote in Rajya Sabha would be the only way to settle the fate of the bill that has been passed by Lok Sabha.
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