Modi should’ve apologised for flawed GST his govt introduced in 2017: Congress on PM’s address

The Congress on Sunday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, saying he should have apologised for it was his own government that had introduced the flawed GST in the first place.

Speaking to a news agency, Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate questioned the need for PM Modi to address the nation as the GST reforms had been already announced by him in his Independence Day speech and later by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

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“I found PM Modi’s address to the country very strange because the Finance Minister has already announced that the new GST will be implemented from tomorrow. Before taking the decision, PM Modi had also spoken about it from the ramparts of the Red Fort…,” she said.

Shrinate said that Modi didn’t say anything new but spoke like the GST was brought in 2017 by some other government.

“It was your own government that imposed the GST. It was flawed, and that is why we have consistently called it the ‘Gabbar Singh Tax.’ From 2017 till today, you have indulged in massive extortion. I thought today Modi ji would apologise to the people of the country for looting them for so many years,” she said.

The Congress reaction came shortly after Modi addressed the nation on next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, announcing a “GST Bachat Utsav” from Monday, September 22, when the revised GST rates take effect

Congratulating millions of families across the country for the Next Generation GST reforms and ‘GST Bachat Utsav’, Modi said that the next-generation GST reforms will accelerate India’s growth story.

“These reforms will accelerate India’s growth story, simplify business, make investment more attractive, and make every state an equal partner in the race for development,” he said.