Congress vs BJP: 'Opposed while CM... now becoming a messiah', Jairam Ramesh attacks PM on GST; BJP retaliates

A political battle has once again erupted between the Congress and the BJP over the GST. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that while he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi opposed the GST, but after becoming Prime Minister, he made a U-turn and declared himself its savior in 2017. Ramesh claimed that recent reforms are limited and do not address the problems of small and medium-sized businesses.

Ramesh said that for eight consecutive years, from 2006 to 2014, only one Chief Minister opposed the GST, and he later became Prime Minister in 2014. He said that the Modi government ignored the Congress's demands for eight years and is now implementing reforms. According to Ramesh, the recent changes do not meet the demand for a five-year compensation package for states, nor do they address procedural complexities.

Referring to the Gabbar Singh Tax, the Congress MP said that the GST was implemented in July 2017. At the time, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party had dubbed it the "Gabbar Singh Tax." Ramesh said the Congress had already anticipated that it would be the second major blow to the economy after demonetization. He said that GST was proposed by then-Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in 2006 and introduced as a bill in Parliament in 2010.

The Government Bowed Down Due to Trump

Jairam Ramesh said that when the current US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs, the Modi government was forced to implement reforms. He said that the government is now celebrating this, even though this step has been taken too late. The Congress leader claimed that the BJP even stalled the proposal in the Parliamentary Standing Committee and presented the report only when the elections were near.

BJP's Counterattack

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri countered the Congress's allegations, saying that Jairam Ramesh should understand that if tariff negotiations were not underway with any country, shouldn't GST rates have been reduced? He said that the slogan of self-reliance is not new; it is now being strengthened. Puri sarcastically said that the Congress and its leaders should find new issues because the public has rejected them on old issues. He cited the Delhi University Students' Union elections, where the NSUI faced defeat.

Amit Shah said - These are historic reforms.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that GST reforms have been implemented across the country and will prove to be a festival of savings for the general public. He said that taxes have been reduced on more than 390 items. Shah described this as the Modi government's gift to "mothers and sisters" on Navratri. Prime Minister Modi called it a major step towards the Self-reliant India campaign and said that it will benefit everyone, including the poor, middle class, farmers, traders, and entrepreneurs.

'GST Savings Festival' on Navratri

Prime Minister Modi said that the entire country is celebrating the 'GST Savings Festival' since the first day of Navratri. According to him, these reforms will lead the public to greater savings, easier shopping, and the goal of a self-reliant India. The Modi government claims that the new reforms will give a 'double bonus' to the general public during the festive season.