What is luxury — suit or gold?
During a debate on Finance Bill, Union Minister Arun Jaitley took a jibe at Congress saying: "I don't understand this politics. You have a problem with suit that is worn to keep warm during winter, but you don't have any issues with gold." The suit reference came in because Rahul Gandhi dubs the government as suit-boot ki sarkar. Mr. Gandhi has also expressed support to jewellers protest against duty on non-silver ornaments.
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When a Odisha MP rose to question if taxes will be imposed on agiculture, Mr. Jaitley replied in negative and added agri-tax, if any, is a state subject. He went on to say, "Please ask your Chief Minister not to impose any such taxes."
Will you get water by shouting?
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Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan expressed her frustration over some MPs often shouting at the Chair while raising various issues.
When the House was discussing the issue of acute drinking water scarcity in various parts of the country especially in drought affected regions, Ms. Mahajan told some unruly members “Will you get water if you shout at me? If you get water by shouting at me, keep shouting.”
Keep it short, silly
"You are young and energetic. You are doing a good job. But your replies should be short," Ms. Mahajan told Power Minister Goyal soon after he finished a long reply on shortage of water in thermal plants.
Long replies by ministers during Question Hours is not preferred by most MPs. Veteran parliamentarian Mulayam Singh once said, "House used to take up 15-16 questions during the hour-long allotted time but because of long replies by Ministers, only a few questions could be taken up for discussion now. "
Super citizens
Responding to a series of supplementaries during Question Hour, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said, "MPs are not super citizens." A BJP MP wanted to know why private airlines and airports are not giving priorities to MPs. And he got the answer.