Rahul Targets Modi over GST Slab
Taking another shot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he said most goods will attract sub-18 per cent GST slab, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that his party has jolted him “out of his slumber”.
Rahul took a swipe saying the “PM now wants implement what he once called Congress party’s Grand Stupid Thought.”
“Today, we are reaching the situation where 99 percent of the things can be brought under 18 per cent or less tax. And we are moving in that direction. After that, half a percent or one per cent luxury items will probably be left out of 18 per cent, including airplane purchases, buying a big car, alcohol, cigarettes and some things, which will not even be one per cent (of items),” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event organised by Republic TV in Mumbai.
“The Congress Party has finally jolted @narendramodi ji from his deep slumber on Gabbar Singh Tax,” @RahulGandhi tweeted. https://t.co/rPLzFvVRKK
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) December 20, 2018
Hitting back at Modi’s statement, Congress’s former finance minister P Chidambaram took on his twitter to say that, “Government says 99% of goods will be at 18 per cent GST. Belated wisdom. We should have started with 18 per cent as the standard rate. Having scrambled the egg needlessly when GST was introduced, Government is trying to unscramble it! Typical of NDA.”
“BJP/NDA governance mantra is ‘Leap before you look’. Which is the reason for the damage caused by GST to businesses, especially MSMEs,” he added.
“The Congress Party has finally jolted Narendra Ji from his deep slumber on Gabbar Singh Tax. Though still drowsy, he now wants to implement what he had earlier called the Congress Party’s, “Grand Stupid Thought“. Better late than never Narendra Ji!” Gandhi had tweeted.
“The UPA had left behind a legacy of 31% indirect Tax on most items. The GST has already reduced 334 items to 12% and 18% slab. Wasn’t the 31% Tax an oppressive idea- a stupid one at that,” Mr Jaitley said in another tweet.
This isn’t the first time Rahul has spoken about “waking up” the Prime Minister and the BJP to an issue. After the recently-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh waived farmer loans, he said the Congress had managed to “wake the CM’s of Assam and Gujarat from their deep slumber”. He added, “PM is still asleep. We will wake him up too.”
