Government not engaging in talks on GST, land bill: Rahul

Bengaluru, Nov 25  Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Congress wished for talks with the government on issues like land and goods and services tax bills but it was not engaging in a dialogue.

"The main role of the opposition is to have a conversation in parliament. The problem is that the BJP (government) does not want to have a conversation. I have seen in parliament on numerous occasions that when our speakers (leaders) are speaking, the microphone is switched off," Gandhi said at Mt. Carmel college here.

"Democracy is about conversation; it is important that it is allowed," he said.

"The government's approach on the land bill was to shut us out of parliament. When our leader Mallikarjun Kharge would speak, they used to shut down his mic. That is not the right way for the government to behave. The government has to accept the fact that the Congress has its views," he said, adding, "We want to protect you from suit-boot".

On the GST bill, Gandhi said the Congress has some differences with the government.

"There are a couple of things in the GST bill we want changed. we want a cap on the amount of tax that can be charged so as to protect you (people)," he said.

Gandhi said the Congress would also raise the issue of communal intolerance in the forthcoming session.

"We are going to raise the issue of intolerance. What happened in the past few days is very disturbing," the Congress leader said while questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on these issues.

The Congress would also take up the issue of corruption in BJP-ruled states, he said.