GST second major attack on India's unorganised economy: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the NDA's Goods and Services Tax (GST) is not a tax system but an "attack" on India's poor and on its small and medium businesses, and urged all to stand against it.
Dubbing the GST as "Gabbar Singh Tax", he said it is the second major attack on India's unorganised economy, and is an "absolute failure".
He had earlier said demonetisation was the first attack on the informal sector in the economy.
As part of his video series on the economy, the former Congress president alleged that the NDA government has kept four different tax slabs to help those big industrialists with means and contacts to change the taxes under the GST regime.
"This GST is an absolute failure. Not only is it unsuccessful, it is an attack on the poor and on the small and medium businesses," he said in the video series shared on his social media platforms.
"GST is not a tax system, it is an attack on India's poor. It is an attack on small shopkeepers, small and medium businesses, farmers and labourers.
"We have to recognise this attack and stand against it together," he said.
Gandhi shared the under 3-minute video on Twitter and said, "Another major reason for the historic decline in GDP is the Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) of the Modi government. It has destroyed a lot - lakhs of small businesses, crores of jobs and the future of youth and the financial health of states. GST means economic devastation."
This is the third of the four-part series by him on the economy.
Gandhi and the Congress have stepped up their attack on the Modi government over the state of the economy after India's economic growth suffered its worst fall on record in the April-June quarter, with the gross domestic product (GDP) contracting 23.9 percent.
He claimed that the GST was UPA's idea, which meant "One tax, minimal tax, standard and simple tax".
"NDA's GST is completely different. Four different tax slabs, up to 28 percent, complicated and difficult to understand," he alleged.
The Congress leader said the small and medium businesses cannot pay this tax, whereas the big companies can easily pay it by employing a few accountants to do the job.
"Why are there four different rates? This is because the government wants those who have the means to be able to easily change GST, and those who don't have means, cannot do anything about GST.
"Who has the means? India's biggest 15-20 industrialists. So, whatever tax law they want to change can easily be done in this GST regime," he alleged.
Gandhi said the result of the NDA's GST is that today, the Government of India is unable to provide the GST compensation money to the states.
The states are unable to give money to state employees and teachers, he said. Gandhi has earlier brought out a similar video series on the situation on the border with China.
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111 killed, 72 injured as storm, rain batter UP; relief work underway
Lucknow (PTI): At least 111 people were killed and 72 injured after a strong storm and heavy rain pounded several districts of Uttar Pradesh, uprooting trees and damaging houses, an official statement said on Thursday.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the loss of lives and damage caused by the unseasonal rain, thunderstorms and lightning on Wednesday and directed officials to ensure relief reaches the affected families within 24 hours.
In a statement, the Relief Commissioner's office said, "Due to bad weather on May 13, including storms, rain, hailstorm and lightning, reports of 111 deaths were received from 26 districts. 72 persons were injured, 170 livestock losses and damage to 227 houses have been reported in the state."
It said Adityanath has directed all divisional commissioners and district magistrates to verify the incidents "with full sensitivity" and ensure financial assistance is distributed to affected families within 24 hours while establishing direct communication with them and extending other necessary help.
The commissioner's office said it is continuously monitoring the situation through direct coordination with district officials, and necessary funds are being made available to districts.
According to a list issued by the Prayagraj district administration, till morning, 17 deaths were reported due to the storm and rain. As reports pour in from other areas, the district administration said that a total of 24 deaths have come to the fore in Wednesday's incidents.
In Bhadohi, district administration sources said at least 16 people died in storm-related incidents. Additional District Magistrate Kunwar Virendra Kumar Maurya said trees and electric poles were uprooted in several areas, while many houses were damaged in the storm.
Fatehpur Additional District Magistrate Avinash Tripathi said nine people were killed and 16 were injured in storm-related incidents in the district.
"Eight people, including five women, died in Khaga tehsil, while a woman died after a wall of a house collapsed in Sadar tehsil," he said.
In Pratapgarh, four people died in separate incidents of wall and cemented shed collapses and lightning strikes amid strong winds and rain, officials said.
Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar said Bhim Yadav (25) died after he was trapped under the debris of a cemented shed that collapsed in Ojha Ka Purwa village in the Lalganj Kotwali area. He said Bhushan Pandey (56) died after a wall collapsed in Sari Swami village under the Baghrai police station area.
Bhukar said Shanti Devi (46) of Narangpur village and Lal Bahadur (44) of Chhatrapur Shivala Raghna village also died in storm-related incidents.
In Kanpur Dehat district, two persons died in rain-related incidents, the officials said.
Police sources said a 19-year-old woman, Ruchi, died after being struck by lightning in Bhauthari village under the Rasulabad area while standing under a neem tree with goats during heavy rain. Several goats also died in the incident.
A 60-year-old man standing nearby was injured, they added.
Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Dushyant Kumar said reports regarding human and livestock losses have been sought from local officials, and financial assistance will be provided as per government rules.
In Deoria, Komal Yadav (62), a resident of Bhimpur Gaura village, died after being struck by lightning, district administration sources said. Two others were injured in the incident.
In another incident, Ramnath Prasad (65), a resident of Neruari village, died in a lightning strike.
In Sonbhadra district, Madhav Singh (38) died after being trapped under a tree uprooted during the rain and the storm.
Adityanath directed the district magistrates and officials of various departments to visit the affected areas and provide all possible assistance to the victims and their families.
He also instructed the officials to remain alert and ordered the revenue and agriculture departments, along with insurance companies, to conduct a survey of the damage and submit a report to the government.
