Munish Sood
MANDI: Senior Himachal Pradesh Congress leader and former minister Kaul Singh Thakur has hit out at the BJP-led central government, calling the recent reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates a clear sign of “policy failure”.
Speaking at a press conference in Mandi, Kaul Singh Thakur ridiculed the ruling party for celebrating what he termed a “Gabbar Singh Tax Rollback Day”.
“The BJP is projecting this rollback as a ‘savings day,’ but in reality it is nothing more than an admission of their failed policies. It is laughable that the government is patting itself on the back for reversing the very tax burden it imposed on the people,” Kaul Singh Thakur said.
Credit goes to Rahul Gandhi, says Congress
The former minister asserted that the credit for the reduction in GST rates should go to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
“From the very beginning, Rahul Gandhi opposed these exorbitant rates. He coined the phrase ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ because GST was being used as a tool of exploitation. It is only after his persistent questioning and public pressure that the BJP has been forced to retreat,” Kaul Singh Thakur argued.
Recalling the history of GST’s rollout, Thakur Kaul Singh Thakur pointed out that the Congress-led UPA government had originally intended to implement GST with a pro-people framework, but the BJP opposed it at the time.
“Then in 2017, the Modi government brought in GST with rates as high as 28 per cent, creating widespread hardship for businesses and consumers alike. Now, by rolling back those rates, the BJP is essentially conceding that the opposition was right,” he said.
Call for rationalised structure
Kaul Singh Thakur further stated that he remains dissatisfied with the present rate structure. “The government must go further. The 18 per cent slab should be reduced to 12 per cent. India needs only two GST rates — 5 per cent and 12 per cent. That is the only way to create a fair and simple tax system,” he insisted.
