BJP says UP, Uttarakhand election results proved note ban, GST critics wrong

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 30

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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday defended the central government’s Goods and Services Tax regime and last year’s decision to scrap old high-value banknotes saying that the party’s victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand proved its critics wrong.

Addressing the press on Monday, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao said the party’s resounding victory in both states showed that people still supported the BJP.

The minister was responding to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the GST tax regime — which he said was the “best thing” to have happened in tax reforms in the past seven decades — as well as the central government’s November 2016 decision to scrap old high-value banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.

The victories will be emulated in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh — two states that will go to polls next — he claimed.

He accused the Congress — the primary opposition in the Centre — of “not acting against black money” while it was in power.

“Now it (Congress) has the nerve to question Modi government’s steps for reforms taken in national interest,” he said, wondering how the Congress remained opposed to it when state governments supported “every decision” taken regarding the tax.“It is height of hypocrisy for the Congress to claim that the Congress is not party to GST. It only shows their lack of willingness to accept the reality."

Gandhi on Monday described demonetisation as an “out-and-out disaster” and said that GST was a “torpedo” that destroyed the economy. His party will observe ‘Black Day’ on November 8 — a day that will mark a year from the central government decision to demonetise old notes.