File photo
NEW DELHI: Congress lashed out at govt on Sunday, alleging that PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Sunday evening to claim “sole ownership” of amendments made to GST regime by GST Council. Calling the latest reforms “inadequate”, the party said the PM’s talk of a “savings festival of Rs 2.5 lakh crore” was like “applying band-aid after inflicting deep wounds”.The party has sought that govt apologise to the public for imposing GST on essential items. In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the PM by citing a Hindi proverb, ‘nau sau choohe khakar billi haj ko chali’ (‘After committing many sins, the cat goes on a pilgrimage’). “Instead of the simple and efficient GST of Congress, your govt imposed ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ by collecting from nine different slabs and collected more than Rs 55 lakh crore in eight years,” he alleged.”Now you are talking about putting a simple band-aid after inflicting deep wounds on the public by talking about a ‘savings festival’ of Rs 2.5 lakh crore! The public will never forget that you collected GST on pulses, rice, grains, pencils, books, treatment, farmers’ tractors, etc. Your govt should apologise to the public!” he added.Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said, “PM addressed the nation today to claim sole ownership of the amendments made to GST regime by GST Council, a constitutional body.” He went on to say that Congress has long argued that GST has been a “Growth Suppressing Tax”. “We have been demanding a GST 2.0 since July 2017. This was a key pledge made in our ‘Nyay Patra’ for 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he added.Holding that the latest “GST reforms are inadequate”, Ramesh stressed that the key demand of states “made in true spirit of cooperative federalism – namely, extension of compensation for another five years to fully protect their revenues – remains unaddressed”.In a scathing attack posted on X, Congress’ Supriya Shrinate said, “Modi ji is cursing the old GST as if someone else had implemented it. You yourself imposed Gabbar Singh Tax and collected it for eight years. Have you forgotten?”Other outstanding issues enumerated by Ramesh include widespread concerns of MSMEs that, he said, must be “addressed meaningfully”. “Sectoral issues that have surfaced – for instance in textiles, tourism, exporters, handicrafts and agricultural inputs – must be tackled,” he said, adding, “States should be incentivised to move towards introduction of state-level GST to cover electricity, alcohol, petroleum, and real estate as well.” “Whether this round of GST changes – delayed by eight years – will actually boost private investment that is essential for higher GDP growth remains to be seen. Meanwhile, trade deficit with China has doubled in past five years to cross $100 billion. And Indian business is crippled by fear and oligopolisation that is leading many to resettle abroad,” Ramesh asserted.
