At a time when the GST Council is working on relief measures for the worst-affected sectors — the Congress is toughening its stance against the implementation of the new tax regime.
Network18 has learnt that at the economy meeting of the All India Congress Committee today, the party has decided to go on a Goods and Services Tax (GST) offensive.
Sources told Network 18 that at the meeting, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that GST has affected small traders the most. The grand old party has recognised that it can only take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi head-on by taking a hard stance on the economic policies of the current government.
The focus at the party meeting was on demonetisation and GST. The Congress, along with opposition parties, will observe November 8 as ‘Black Day’ in remembrance of people who were affected or lost their lives due to the demonetisation move, announced by the PM Narendra Modi last year.
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is leading the demonetisation protests, which will be held across the country. Other opposition political parties are also likely to carry out the demonetisation protest.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram were present at the GST meeting which was also attended by the chief ministers of Congress-led states and their representatives.
At the meeting, Manmohan Singh said that current form of GST is a ‘fraud’ for small traders and small businessmen who are facing issues of tax compliance — hitting the poor people, small businessmen, small traders and small workers.
The party is going to use the demonetisation and the GST as major political issues in its fight against BJP and will oppose it ‘tooth and nail’.
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