New Delhi

Top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh today 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 Congress party has blocked the passage of crucial legislations including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill.

The Prime Minister invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan 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.

“The honorable PM today invited former PM Dr Manmohansinghji, and Congress president smt Sonia Gandhiji for a discussion on issues pending before parliament. Particularly a large amount of legislative business has been accumulated over the last two sessions. And that was a principal subject matter of discussion. The Parliamentary affairs minister Shri Venkaiah Naidu will be in touch with the leaders of the Congress party in both houses of parliament to discuss each one of the particular legislation so that work can proceed next week. With regard to the GST, the constitution amendment which is pending before the Rajya Sabha, the subject was discussed. The Congress party leaders put forward their position with regard to the three issues which they felt are of concerned to them. The history and the background of the legislation and the government response to those three issues in detail was explained to them. The Congress party leaders would be discussing within their own party and there would be after some time a fresh contact between the govt and them to discuss this subject further after they discuss within the party and we also consider the position that they have stated to us,” Said Shri Arun jaitley to media persons after the meeting.

Jaitley had said yesterday 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.

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.

With inputs from PTI

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