‘The government needs the Congress... It can’t ignore us.’

K.V. Thomas, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and Union minister of state for agriculture and consumer affairs, food and public distribution, in the UPA government talks about the Winter Session of Parliament and GST in an interview with Manish Anand

How do you see the Winter Session of Parliament panning out

The Modi government came to power 16 months ago with a thumping majority. The Bharatiya Janata Party gave the impression that it had not come to power just for five years, but for much longer. But within a short span of time it has emerged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a dictator.

Ours is a parliamentary form of government in which the Prime Minister is one among equals. But what we have seen in such a short span of time is that all authorities exist only with Mr Modi. For instance, Sushma Swaraj is the minister for external affairs but has nothing to do and that is the case with other ministers. Mr Modi was sworn to office with heads of the state of the neighbouring countries in attendance and there was hope that inter-state relations would improve. Instead, our ties with Nepal have soured and the border with Pakistan is tense. Even US President Barack Obama warned that India should stay true to secularism.

Prices of essential commodities have been rising. And now Bihar has shown that the BJP’s days are over while a non-BJP coalition under the Congress’ leadership is gaining momentum. All these issues will find mention in the Winter Session of Parliament.

There is a sense that the ruling National Democratic Alliance has no working relations with the Congress.

The current government has been ignoring the Congress which has ruled the country for over six decades. But Mr Modi’s attitude towards the Congress Party is negative. A government in power cannot ignore a party like the Congress.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley recently met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and similar contacts have been established with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Surely, attempts are being made to improve ties with the main Opposition party.

The government needs the assistance of all the Opposition parties, including the Congress. It can’t ignore us since the economic policies being pursued by the Modi government are only a continuation of what United Progressive Alliance-I and -II had done. Goods and services tax (GST) is supposed to roll out from April 1, 2016. For this the GST Bill must be passed in the Winter Session. Will the Congress help GST become a reality

It is true that the GST Bill, being a legislative proposal for constitutional amendment, can’t be passed without the Congress’ support and the consent of state governments. The Congress has three key concerns regarding GST: the dispute settlement mechanism; share of taxes; and the structure of account. The Congress Party wants the government to listen to us and amend the bill accordingly. The Bihar verdict has surely given the Congress much-needed energy. What’s the sense within the party

The Congress has been in and out of power. So the party knows how to take defeat in its stride and not become arrogant in victory.

Almost all Congress leaders rushed to credit Mr Gandhi for the Bihar win and even claimed that he helped forge the Grand Alliance in the state. Then why is his elevation to the post of party president getting delayed He can become president of the party anytime. He is an undisputed youth leader. But it is under the leadership of Mrs Gandhi, with the support of Mr Gandhi and Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, that the party has moved forward. We all are happy to work under the leadership of Mrs Gandhi as well as Rahulji and Priyankaji.

Do you think Ms Vadra should play a more active role in politics and the Congress Party

We all wish that she (Priyanka) plays a more active role in the party. When we see Priyankaji, we see Indiraji.

But the BJP has been targeting her husband Robert Vadra...

The BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will use all the tactics at their disposal to make the Nehru family, which has a lot of influence on the people, dysfunctional in politics.

The Congress has sought to corner the government on the issue of intolerance, but the incidents used to substantiate your claims are local in nature, having taken place either in Uttar Pradesh or Karnataka.

This government is intolerant. The minorities, Muslims and Christians in particular, have been feeling unsafe ever since the NDA came to power. The general feeling among the people, including those litterateurs who returned their awards, is that this government has an intolerant attitude.