Sanjay Singh Calls GST ‘Bachat Utsav’ a Burden on the Poor

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh launched a scathing critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recently announced "GST Bachat Utsav" during a press conference on Tuesday, branding it a "Chapat Utsav" that disproportionately burdens ordinary citizens while benefiting the affluent. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has yet to respond to these allegations.

Singh argued that the revised GST structure, implemented from the first day of Navratri, fails to deliver the promised relief for the masses. "Whenever the PM announces something like this, it is not in the interest of the common people," he stated, drawing parallels with the 2016 demonetisation policy, which he claimed led to 100 deaths as people queued for cash and caused the closure of three crore small-scale industries.

Highlighting the tax burden, Singh cited that over the past eight years, the central government has amassed Rs 127 lakh crore through GST and other taxes, with 64% of this burden borne by 50% of the population, while the wealthiest 10% contribute only 3%. "This is not a Bachat Utsav, it is a Chapat Utsav," he remarked, questioning the timing of the GST rate hike post the Bihar assembly elections.

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On Sunday, PM Modi had hailed the new two-tier GST structure—comprising 5% and 18% tax rates for most goods and services, 40% for ultra-luxury items, and 28% plus cess for tobacco—as a "Bachat Utsav" that would reduce prices and boost optimism. Sharing a video from his interaction with traders in Arunachal Pradesh, Modi emphasized the reform's potential to benefit shoppers.

Singh also challenged the government's "Swadeshi" push, alleging that policies like demonetisation devastated small-scale industries, undermining local economies. As the debate over GST intensifies, the AAP's critique underscores growing concerns about equitable taxation and economic policies in India.

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