Jitu Patwari demands GST refund for citizens, alleges Modi Govt benefited big industrialists

With the reduced rates of GST coming into effect from Monday, Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari has demanded that the Union government refund the excess GST paid by people in the past, on the lines of the Income Tax Department’s refund mechanism.

Patwari said that both the Union and state governments must return the difference of the higher GST paid by citizens over the years.

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He claimed that the Union government had collected nearly ₹55 lakh crore through the higher GST rates.

“The Narendra Modi government’s GST was actually a ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’, which forced the poor, middle classes, and small traders to pay more, while big industrialists like Adani and Ambani benefited from it,” Patwari alleged.

“Just as there is a system of IT refunds, the government must also provide refunds to people who paid GST at 28 per cent, which has now been reduced to 18 per cent. This is the right of the people,” he asserted.

Patwari further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had finally been compelled to accept what Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been demanding ever since the GST regime was introduced.

“Rahul Gandhi has consistently argued for a single-slab GST, and now PM Modi has been forced to accept that,” the Congress leader pointed out.

He added that the Prime Minister must apologise to the nation for “pushing a large section of society into poverty and distress” through the initial GST structure.

Patwari also alleged that the GST rate cut was announced only with an eye on the upcoming Bihar elections.