RSS against current GST Bill: Babbar

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 26

Daring the BJP-led NDA government to table Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the House, national spokesman of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Raj Babbar today said that this has not been done due to pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“The RSS is opposed to the present form of the GST Bill because it will serve only big business class by ignoring rights of small businessmen and traders,” Babbar said while addressing a press conference here in connection with the party’s “Do Saal Desh Baadhal” campaign.

“We have given three suggestions to the NDA government to make this Bill comprehensive but nothing has been done in this regard,” Babbar said, adding that tax should not be more than 18 per cent in the Bill. “As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi had opposed GST Bill for nine years,” he said.

Rating the two-year performance of the Modi government as completely disappointing, Babbar said that this regime had indulged in misleading and misinformation campaign to befool the people. “This regime has failed on all fronts because except rolling out promises nothing has been done during the last two years,” he said. He added that the NDA government had compromised the security of the country.

The Congress spokesman said that during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections campaign, the BJP had promised to solve problems of refugees of J&K but nothing had been done. “Every section of society is feeling cheated and betrayed by the BJP,” he said. “Not even a single promise made to the people of Jammu has been fulfilled so far.”

Referring to the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, Babbar said that BJP’s pseudo-nationalism had been exposed during the controversy. “On the one hand, BJP has tried to divide countrymen in the name of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogan, on the other hand, party leadership had brazenly disowned students of NIT who had hoisted national flag,” he said.

Replying to another query, Babbar demanded strict action against Bajrang Dal workers, who were found giving arms training.