‘Anti-Household, Regressive’: Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury Slam GST Hike

After its 47th meeting, the GST Council decided to hike tax rates on a dozen goods and services.

Rahul Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

After the GST Council on Wednesday, 29 June, during its 47th meeting decided to hike tax rates on a dozen goods and services, the proposed surge drew flak from across the political spectrum.

From 18 July, goods and services including unbranded food items will witness a tax surge while services like truck rentals and ropeways will witness a tax decline.

While some politicians have called it an 'apocalypse for households', others have called it 'anti-environmental'.

'Apocalypse For Households': Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi said that amid declining income and employment, inflation continues to increase. "The Prime Minister's Gabbar Singh Tax has now become the Grihasti Sarvanash Tax (Household Apocalypse Tax)," he added.

Kerala's former finance minister and Central Committee of Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s member Thomas Isaac called the GST hikes for household items and solar panels regressive and anti-environmental. "GST must comply with the canon of equity," he added.

Former Karnataka CM and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah pointed out that this would "adversely impact" the farmers, students, newspapers, poor and the middle class people.

"This hike will destroy the spending power of common man," he added.

He also called for the rollback the GST hike.

'Truth Gallops Out': Yechury

Meanwhile, amid the spiralling political crisis in Maharashtra, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while announcing the changes in tax structures, said that GST will now be applicable on "horsetrading". Her 'Freudian slip' hasn't escaped political attention either.

CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, took a swipe at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for letting the "truth" out about horsetrading.

Congress incharge for internal communications Dr Vineet Punia said that GST on horsetrading would be a welcome move.

Meanwhile, another Congress member gave a breakdown of the tax structure, if GST is imposed on horsetrading.