Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 20: Political parties, social organisations including Beopar Mandal resented over levying of five percent GST on food items and other essential goods by holding protest demonstrations across the Union Territory, today.
Click here to watch video
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today staged a protest against the levying of GST over eatable products and termed it as ‘Tax Terror’ of the BJP led Government in the Centre. The protest was joined by various senior leaders of the Party including Harsh Dev Singh, TS Tony and others.
The AAP leaders were detained by police when they were marching on the road against the implementation of GST on food items. The Party termed the Police act as high handedness of the LG Administration to crush people’s voice.
Addressing the media during the protest, Harsh Dev said that imposition of tax on food products is a first step ever in the history of India which shows BJP’s dictatorial attitude of burdening common masses of the country without taking any care of people’s life.
Chairman People’s Democratic Front (PDF) and former Minister Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen expressed serious concern over levying of GST on food items, terming the decision as killing for poor and middle class sections of the society. He also urged the Government to roll back the decision immediately.
He said that the Union Government decision of levying five percent GST on rice, wheat, milk and other essentials would severely affect the poor who were already living a miserable life under the stress of neck breaking dearness and price inflammation in the market.
President Beopar Mandal and District Congress general secretary, Gurmeet Singh strongly condemned the implementation of five percent GST on essential commodities and demanded that the Government should rollback the decision. He said that milk products which are basic needs of day-to-day life and must be free from all taxes.
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also condemned the latest round of “burdens” imposed on the people through the GST hikes on all essential commodities and demanded its immediate rollback. “Independent India abandoned the policy of the colonial British Government’s tax on food items. In these last 75 years, food items like rice, wheat, pulses, etc., and daily essentials like curd, paneer, meat, fish, and jaggery were never taxed. This is the Modi Government’s ‘gift’ to the Indian people in this year of Azaadi ka Amrut Mahotsav,” CPI (M) said in a statement.
The Youth Wing of J&K National Conference Jammu today staged a strong protest against the BJP Government for imposing five percent GST on pre-packed and unbranded food items. The protest was organised under leadership of Tejinder Pal Singh, president Youth National Conference District Jammu.
The NC activists assembled in front of Press Club Jammu and raised slogans against the anti-poor people policies of the BJP led Government at the Centre and said that this is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir when non-branded food items are being brought under the GST and claimed that the decision was not in favour of the general public and traders.
Deputy Chief Spokesperson of National Conference, Dr GaganBhagat also lambasted the BJP Union Government and demanded immediate rollback of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Milk, rice, wheat, pulses, curd, buttermilk and cheese.
President J&K Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC), Uday Chib, criticised the BJP leadership for levying GST and asserted that it is the first time that people have to pay skyrocketing taxes on food grains and even milk products. He alleged that the people in Jammu and Kashmir seem to have been held to ransom by the insensitive, irresponsible and anti-people Government.
Vilakshan Singh UT president of J&K National Panthers Party has strongly condemned the decision of the GST Council taken in its 47th meeting whereby the GST Council has decided to impose tax on items of daily consumption such as rice, wheat , flour , curd etc. Singh said that the people are already finding it hard to make their both ends meet, and the decisions of the BJP Government is making the survival of the poor even a more daunting task.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
