Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image credits: PTI)
NEW DELHI: Accusing the Congress of looting the people of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the party had even taxed low-income groups while the BJP government has worked to provide relief.Addressing a public meeting in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district, where he launched development projects worth over Rs 60,000 crore, PM Modi said, “The Congress left no opportunity to loot people, and even imposed tax on those with an annual income of Rs 2 lakh. The BJP government raised the limit to over Rs 12 lakh…Beware of the Congress and its allies, as they loot people.”He alleged that Congress began abusing the BJP government after GST 2.0, launched on Monday, reduced the burden on citizens. “When our government reduced the price of cement, the Congress government in Himachal imposed its own tax. When we reduced the GST rates, prices came down across the country, but the Congress does not want to give this relief to the common people,” he said.The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council recently revised tax rates, introducing a two-tier system of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, aimed at lowering prices for a wide range of products and services. Prime Minister Modi also pointed to Odisha’s rapid progress under the ‘double-engine’ government, a term used by BJP leaders to signify the party’s rule at both the Centre and the state. “Odisha, which has witnessed poverty for several decades, is now on the path to prosperity,” he said, adding that the government is committed to empowering the poor, Dalits and tribals.Reiterating his vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ he said, “It is our resolve that from chip to ship, India must be self-reliant in everything.”The projects unveiled by PM Modi in Odisha covered a wide range of sectors including railways, healthcare, telecom, higher education, rural housing and skill development. He also commissioned more than 97,500 4G mobile towers built with swadeshi technology, including over 92,600 by BSNL. Around 26,700 remote and border villages will gain mobile coverage through 18,900 sites funded under the Digital Bharat Nidhi.
