Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly U.T. Khader on Tuesday, July 19, said that the BJP governments have now resorted to run the show by levying taxes on poor man’s essentials, including rice, pencils, curd, jaggery and wheat, thereby proving GST was in fact ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Khader said by levying taxes on daily essentials of the common man, the governments were planning to fill the coffers. AICC leader Rahul Gandhi had termed this very same move as Gabbar Singh Tax, he said.
The BJP government at the Centre that did not introduce any schemes or plans to elevate the woes of the common man and help him to come over the economic crisis, has resorted to increasing taxes thereby making life miserable. The governments lack humanity as well as compassion. A day might come when the governments will levy taxes on funeral procession too; let that not happen, he said.
Mr. Khader said the governments that have proposed taxes on common man’s essentials, including hotel accommodation costing up to ₹1,000, hospital rooms, cheque books etc., have reduced taxes on corporates. The Congress would shortly launch agitation over this trend of burdening of the common man.
Notwithstanding Karnataka standing second in GST collection, the Centre has been doing injustice to the State by improper sharing of the GST revenue. While the State was entitled for ₹19 lakh crore share, the Centre has provided just ₹1.26 lakh crore during these years. The BJP government in the State and 26 BJP Members of Parliament have resorted to silence instead of seeking the lawful entitlement, he criticised.
Former minister K. Abhayachandra Jain, former legislators Ivan D’Souza, Shakuntala Shetty, leaders Mithun Rai, Shashidhar Hegde, Shahul Hamid, T.K. Sudhir, Padmanabha Naringana and others were present.
