Sonia, Manmohan meet Modi for 'chai pe charcha'

Top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are learnt to have discussed key issues, including the GST Bill that is pending in Parliament.

The meeting assumes significance as the government and the Congress are at loggerheads over the passage of crucial legislations and Congress blocking the Goods and Services Tax Bill.

In a major reach-out to the main Opposition, the prime minister invited Gandhi and Singh over tea at his Race Course Road residence around 7 pm.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu were also present at the meeting. "Former PM Dr  Manmohan Singh & Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi meet PM. Top ministers are present at the meet," the PMO said in a tweet.

The meeting lasted about 45 minutes.Jaitley had said on Thursday that Modi is willing to speak to everyone to get the landmark indirect tax law through.

Jaitley, who needs Parliament approval for GST Bill in the winter session to roll out the new indirect tax regime as planned from April 1, had said he has spoken to "almost all Congress leaders" on the issue.

"We have absolutely no hesitation even at the level of the Prime Minister. We have never had in it in the past, we don't have it (now). He is willing to speak to everyone," he had said.

The Congress had stalled passage of the GST Constitution Amendment Bill in the last session of Parliament over its demand that a revenue-neutral rate not higher than 18 per cent be mentioned in it.

It is also opposed to states being given powers to levy additional 1 per cent tax on supply of goods over and above GST rate.

After the 45-minute meeting in which Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu was also present, Jaitley said the Congress leaders put forward their position with regard to the three issues which they felt were of concern to them.

The Congress' three objections include the demand for specifying the proposed 18 per cent rate in the Constitution bill, opposition to additional one per cent levy on inter-state movement of goods and 100 per cent compensation to states for revenue loss for five years.

"The history and the background of the legislation and the government's response to these issues in detail were also explained to them.

"The Congress party leaders will be discussing within their own party and there would be after sometime a fresh contact between the government and them to discuss this subject further after they have discussed within the party and we have also considered the position that they have taken to us," Jaitley said.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi during a meeting in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: PTI