Modi invites Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh for tea

In a move to reach out to the opposition for the passage of key legislations in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for tea this evening. Talking to reporters Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said in New Delhi that Mr Modi called them yesterday and invited them to discuss the issues related to important bills and working together for smooth functioning of Parliament. He said he is hopeful of a fruitful meeting. The meeting which will take place at Prime Minister’s residence , is significant as the government and the Congress are at loggerheads on the passage of crucial legislations like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill. Yesterday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that Mr. Modi is willing to speak to everyone to get the landmark indirect tax law through. Congress had stalled passage of the GST Bill in the last session objecting to some provisions of the bill. Reports say this will be the first face-to-face meeting between the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi since BJP won the Lok Sabha elections last year.