NEW DELHI -- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's meeting with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today sparking speculation about whether their interaction had to do with a wedding invite or to push for the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, less than a week before the winter session of Parliament kicks off.
NDTV reported that Jaitley met with Gandhi to invite him for his daughter's wedding in December.
PTI reported that Jaitley has been meeting several politicians to extend wedding invitations.
Both BJP and Congress sources said there was no discussion on GST today, NDTV reported.
Over the past few days, Jaitley has spoken of reaching across the political divide to build consensus for passing the GST Bill,a brainchild of the UPA government, which brings the biggest indirect tax reforms since 1947.
The passage of the GST bill is necessary for the Modi government to retain the support of industry, a key constituency whose backing helped his electoral campaign.
The bill failed to pass during the Monsoon Session, which was a complete washout in the wake of the Lalit Modi scandal and the Vyapam scam. The Congress Party remained unflinching in its demands for the resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasandhura Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
As the chaos showed no signs of abating in the Monsoon Session, top business leaders also signed a petition to end the parliamentary paralysis.
"The process of economic reforms is a continuing one, no reform legislation is stopped in Parliament in past though delay may occur ... make efforts with opposition to get GST passed by Upper House in coming Parliament session," Jaitley said at UAE India Economic Forum in Dubai recently.
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