GST Council meet: Shed your arrogance, listen to people, Rahul Gandhi tells BJP

The GST Council in a meeting decided to reduce tax rate on 177 items ranging from chewing gums to detergents -- to 18 per cent from current 28 per cent.

Keeping up his attack on the government over the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said his party will not allow imposition of the “Gabbar Singh Tax” and asked the Centre to do some course correction “shedding arrogance”.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressing an election rally in support of party candidates in Nagrota Bagwan 30 KM from Dharamsala on November 6.(Shyam Sharma /HT File Photo)

Taking to Twitter, he also said that the government cannot break the back of small and medium size enterprises in the country, crush the informal sector and destroy millions of jobs.

Gandhi’s remarks come in the wake of the GST Council meeting held in Guwahati where it was decided that tax rate on a wide range of mass use items would be reduced.

“We will not allow BJP to impose a Gabbar Singh Tax on India. They cannot break the back of the small and medium businesses, crush the informal sector and destroy millions of jobs. #GSTCouncilMeet,” he tweeted.

He suggested the government to give the country a “genuine simple tax”. The government, he said, should not “waste time” of the country by allegedly engaging in lip service.

“...acknowledge your incompetence, shed your arrogance and listen to the people of India,” he said on the micro- blogging site.

The GST Council decided to reduce tax rate on items ranging from chewing gums to detergents -- to 18 per cent from current 28 per cent.

The all-powerful council pruned the list of items attracting the top 28 per cent tax rate to just 50 from 227 previously.

In effect, the council cut rates on 177 goods.

The GST, implemented “from July 1, has five tax slabs of 0 per cent, 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent.