In ‘Suit-boot-loot sarkar’ jibe, Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP over taxes on ‘friends

The Congress has been attacking the Centre over inflation, unemployment and GST tax rate hike. The party staged a stir ‘Halla Bol’ earlier this month where leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, wore black clothes. A mega rally of the stir is scheduled on September 4 at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a fresh dig at the BJP-led government at the Centre by comparing tax revenues collected by the latter with that of the previous UPA government. Calling the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed government a “suit-boot-loot-sarkar”, Gandhi said the government has increased taxes on the common man and cut the same for its “mitron” (friends).

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other party MPs were detained by Delhi Police personnel as they held the ‘Halla Bol’ protest against inflation, price rise, unemployment and GST rate hike, in Delhi earlier this month. (Photo by Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times)

“Raise taxes on people, cut taxes for Mitron - the ‘natural course’ of action for suit-boot-loot sarkar,” the former Congress president tweeted.

Along with the post, Gandhi shared an image that drew a comparison between taxes imposed on people and corporates during the UPA rule with that of those in place currently under the BJP government. The source of data shown in the graph is “Budgetary documents of Government of India”.

The illustration claimed that during the UPA government, specifically in 2010, 40 per cent tax imposition was done on corporates as opposed to 22 per cent on common people. Meanwhile, under the NDA government, particularly in 2021, 38 per cent tax imposition was done on commoners as against 22 per cent on corporates.

Gandhi's fresh salvo comes amid the Congress's protest against the Centre over inflation, price rise and GST rate spike. The issues caused massive pandemonium at the recently concluded Monsoon session of Parliament with the opposition camp, primarily Congress MPs, constantly wanting an answer from the BJP and a discussion on them.

Leaders of the grand old party, including Gandhi, also held an agitation on August 5 called ‘Halla Bol’ at the Parliament House complex in Delhi and elsewhere against the GST hike on essentials, price rice and unemployment. During the stir, the leaders wore black robes.

Section 144 was imposed by the Delhi Police, and many Congress leaders, including Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who led the stir, were detained at Vijay Chowk as they were en route to the PM's house.