Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 10: The levying of over 12 percent Service Tax on the helicopter services used by Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims is snowballing into a controversy with BJP –the coalition partner of PDP and other political, social and religious organizations openly opposing the draconian decision of Finance Ministry and demanding its immediate revocation.
The decision has created ripples in BJP circles as well and the Party High Command which has been approached by State leadership has also shown its concern over the step taken by the PDP.
Sources said BJP national president, Amit Shah has also convened a meeting in Union Capital tomorrow to have a feedback from the State leaders on the issue.
However, when contacted BJP national general secretary, Ram Madhav who is architect of PDP-BJP alliance in the State said that he can’t make any comment on this issue this time as he is pre-occupied in a meeting.
He said he will seek a feed back and can talk tomorrow.
BJP State president Jugal Kishore Sharma who is in Union Capital said that the issue was taken up with Central leadership and Party has strongly opposed it as Mata Vaisno Devi is not a tourist spot like Gulmarg and Pahalgam on which the Service Tax can be imposed. “The decision will be revoked and you will come to know about it within a day’’, he added.
Though the BJP is claiming that the decision will not be implemented as it is bad in sense, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu has strongly defended the same causing further resentment among the people.
The BJP activists are most dejected with the decision of the Finance Minister as they face the public wrath every where with people posing questions to them on their failure in defending the interests of masses who voted them to power.
“The decision is totally bad in sense and the Government should revoke it as BJP activists are being questioned by the masses who term it a kind of Jazia on pilgrims’’, said Govind Sarin a Party activist.
The BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena workers as well as the Congress, National Conference (NC), National Panthers Party (NPP) and other organizations are up in arms against the Finance Minister’s decision and Congress at national level as well as NPP have directly held the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi responsible for the same.
The BJP has taken a stand against the decision from the very first day when Finance Minister announced the levying of Service Tax on pilgrims with Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh asking him to revoke the same keeping in view the sentiments of the people and millions of pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi every year.
Dr Nirmal Singh while clearing the Party’s stand told Excelsior this evening that BJP will stick to its stand on the issue and he has taken it with Finance Minister asking him the decision be revoked at an earliest. He made it clear that there will be no Service Tax on pilgrims of Mata Vaishno Devi or any other shrine and the order issued by Finance Ministry will be revoked within days.
Dr Singh said that BJP is fully seized of the issue and Party will not allow any kind of tax on the pilgrims coming for yatra of holy shrines.
Former State president of BJP and MP (Rajya Sabha) Shamsher Singh Manhas while condemning the decision said that it should be revoked immediately as BJP will not allow it because the sentiments of crores of Hindus are attached to holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. He said no tax should be imposed on pilgrimage places but it should be confined to tourist resorts only.
MLA Reasi Advocate Ajay Nanda while expressing his total resentment over the decision said it was taken without taking BJP into confidence and the Party has taken a stand on its immediate revocation. The Deputy CM has talked to Mr Drabu and we are hopeful that the decision will be revoked within days.
Nanda said that he also took up the issue with Deputy CM as well as BJP national leadership including Organisation national general secretary Ram Lal who in turn took up with the issue with senior leaders of the Party in Government.
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