Winter Session ends with disagreement on GST and bankruptcy Bill

Dated 23rd December, 2015

The Winter Session of Parliament ended on a disappointing note today with the both Goods and Service Tax (GST) Constitutional Amendment Bill as well as the Bankruptcy Bill failing to clear vote.

At the eleventh hour, though, the Rajya Sabha decided to pass the Juvenile Justice Bill, which prescribes harsher punishment for juveniles aged 16-18 in case of heinous crimes.

While the GST bill was washed out after opposition parties such as Congress raised objections over certain clauses in it, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley himself referred the bankruptcy bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

The government was considering passing the bankruptcy bill as a money bill -- as money bills do not require the assent of the Rajya Sabha -- but decided against the move at the last moment.

The Rajya Sabha, where the ruling BJP party does not enjoy a majority, had turned into a battleground of sorts for political parties as they raked up a number of issues, which the government says were deliberate posturing at the cost of national interest.

In another turn of events, Union Finance Minister also dragged New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the latter levied a host of corruption charges against the FM -- following a CBI raid on Kejriwal's secretary over a graft case.