No show by Manmohan, Mamata, Sonia at GST grand launch event

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday gave the GST launch ceremony at Parliament a miss

New Delhi, July 1: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was supposed to be at the dais along with President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi and a few other dignitaries during the launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) at Parliament's Central Hall on Friday.

However, Singh gave the GST launch ceremony at Parliament a miss as the Congress boycotted the function. But some constituents of the informal opposition grouping, including the NCP, Samajwadi Party, JD(U) and JD(S), attended the function.

Along with Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee were some of the big names who skipped the event as a mark of protest against the GST launch.

JD(S) supremo and former PM HD Deve Gowda, who was one of the special invitees along with Singh, attended the function.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar also attended the event marking India's transition to a new indirect tax regime.

Among the other opposition parties which did not attend the function were the DMK, left parties, RJD and the Trinamool Congress. The Congress had on Thursday decided not to attend the function.

OneIndia News