Women politicians welcome no GST on sanitary pads
New Delhi, July 22 : Women politicians, cutting across party lines, have welcomed the government's decision on scrapping GST on sanitary napkins.
Reactions flowed in from many women politicians after Finance minister Piyush Goyal announced that sanitary pads are now 100 percent exempt from tax.
"In a remarkable move, Piyush Goyal during the 28th GST Council Meet announced to exempt Sanitary Napkins from the GST. Indeed, this will give the required thrust to our Menstrual Hygiene initiatives and will transform lives of many Women," Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi tweeted.
Sanitary pads, which were initially taxed at 18 per cent, were brought down to 12 per cent under GST that was launched in July 2017. Gandhi, however earlier had justified the imposed tax saying that scrapping it would kill the indigenous pad makers.
Congress MP Sushmita Dev who last year had launched an online petition with Change.org demanding total removal of taxes on pads welcomed the government's move saying that it is a victory of more than four lakh citizens who had signed it.
"Some journeys take longer than others. And so here we are bearing the victory torch a year after our campaign 'tax free wings. This is monumental in the step towards improving the accessibility, availability and affordability of the product to millions of women," Dev said.
Union Textile minister Smriti Irani too tweeted thanking the Finance Minister for exempting sanitary napkins from GST.
"A welcome step towards encouraging menstrual hygiene among young girls and women. Good and Simple GST," she wrote.
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Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde shot dead: Lawyer of minor girls calls it 'killing of justice'
Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.
After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.
"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.
Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.
