"Should have spoken on votes being stolen across country": Congress' Ajay Rai calls PM Modi's address "unfortunate"

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 21 (ANI): Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on GST reforms “unfortunate”, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai said that he should also have spoken about the way votes are being stolen in the country.

“PM Modi should also have spoken something on the way votes are being stolen and governments are being formed. This is very unfortunate,” Ajay Rai told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the implementation of the next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms from September 22, marking what he called a major step towards the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

Addressing the nation ahead of the rollout, PM Modi said the reforms would usher in a countrywide “GST Bachat Utsav,” benefiting poor, middle-class, farmers, traders, and entrepreneurs alike.

“From the sunrise of the very first day of Navratri, the nation is taking another important and major step towards the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Tomorrow, on the first day of Navratri, September 22, along with the rising of Suryadev, the Next Generation GST Reforms will come into effect,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that with the increased savings and easier purchases, the poor, middle class, farmers, women, traders and entrepreneurs of the country are all set to “benefit greatly.”

“From tomorrow, across the country, a ‘GST Bachat Utsav’ will begin. In this GST Bachat Utsav, your savings will increase and you will be able to purchase your favourite items more easily. The poor, middle class, neo middle class, youth, farmers, women, shopkeepers, traders, and entrepreneurs — all will benefit greatly,” he said.

PM Modi said, “During this festive season, everyone will have reason to celebrate, and the happiness of every family in the country will grow.”

Calling it a festive gift, the Prime Minister said the reforms would accelerate India’s growth story, make business easier, attract investment, and ensure every state becomes an equal partner in development.

“When India took the historic step of implementing GST in 2017, it marked the beginning of changing an old system and creating a new history. For decades, the people of our country, including all of you and our traders, were caught in the web of multiple taxes — octroi, entry tax, sales tax, excise duty, service tax, and dozens of other such levies,” he said.

The reform in the Goods and Services Tax structure was approved during the 56th meeting of the GST Council earlier this month is set to come into effect from September 22.

The current four-rate system will now be replaced with a streamlined two-slab regime of 5 per cent and 18 per cent. A separate 40 per cent slab has been retained for luxury and sin goods.

This new framework is expected to ease compliance, reduce consumer prices, boost manufacturing, and support a wide range of industries, from agriculture to automobiles and from FMCG to renewable energy, and is intended to lower the cost of living, strengthen MSMEs, widen the tax base, and drive inclusive growth. (ANI)

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