Indore: Former MP and prominent Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley imposed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the country so that their names could be recorded in the history. Ambedkar had been invited to `Janvedna Rally’ of Congress at Mhow — the birthplace of his grandfather, BR Ambedkar — in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. “I want to know the shortcomings of the previous tax regime. What was the need to implement GST when traders and businessmen were well-acquainted with the previous system? GST was only introduced so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Arun Jaitley could record their names in the history and take credit that it was brought during their tenures,” he alleged.
The new single tax system was facing intense opposition even in the BJP-ruled states, he said. Ambedkar also alleged that the government had failed to ensure fair prices for farm produce. It seemed that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was going to be closed as it had reduced purchase of foodgrains drastically, he added. He also said that an atmosphere of fear was being created in the country in the name of beef ban.
Ambedkar noted that since independence, most of the prime ministers, presidents, chief ministers, etc, were Hindu. Why, then, an attempt is being made to impose a particular religion on this secular country now, he asked.
Congress general secretary Mohan Prakash alleged that GST and demonetisation were implemented at the behest of “foreign powers”, and both will end up hurting the Indian economy.