Rajnath Singh: Opposition healthy for democracy

Even as the government and the Congress-led Opposition slugfest continues in Parliament, home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday tried to strike a conciliatory note saying the Opposition is a key component of democracy without which it cannot survive.

Mr Singh’s remarks gain significance as the NDA government wants the crucial support of the Opposition for the passage of key reform measures like the GST.

“In a healthy democracy, where there is a role and relevance of the government, there is also an important role for the Opposition. The Opposition is important for a healthy democracy. Democracy cannot survive without the Opposition,” Mr Singh said at an event to mark the death anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar which was also attended by leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

Mr Singh complimented labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya on inviting Mr Kharge saying the invitation to the Congress leader, also a former labour minister, was in accordance with the principles laid down by the architect of Indian Constitution B.R. Ambedkar.

According to minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the GST bill and the real estate bill are on the list of government business in the Rajya Sabha during the week commencing Monday.

The government and the Opposition, particularly the Congress, are engaged in a cat and mouse game over Goods and Services Tax Bill for quite some time.

Lauding Ambedkar, a former labour minister, Mr Singh said he was not only the architect of the Constitution but the architect of modern India as he laid the foundation for two other important institutions — the Reserve Bank of India and Finance Commission.

“Babasaheb Ambedkar understood quite well that the economic system needed both capital and labour. He established many institutions for distribution of capital and worked a lot to address the issue of the labourers,” he said.