Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that the Goods and Service Tax Bill was being delayed in Parliament for “collateral reasons”. While addressing the annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Jaitley said he has no doubt that the Congress-led Opposition is attempting to delay the bill because it could not be passed in Parliament during the United Progressive Alliance’s rule. He added that politics should not become a hurdle to national interest, PTI reported.

The government had intended to pass the bill in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament and roll it out by April. Opposition parties have been disrupting both Houses of Parliament in the last week, especially after Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were accused in the National Herald case.

Jaitley said that the government would look to push for other reform bills in the three remaining days of the Winter session, including an amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The Lok Sabha has passed the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Bill and Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill.