The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has vehemently criticized Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila, accusing her of making “baseless and misleading” statements concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently announced ‘GST 2.0 Utsav’.
Sharmila had previously sparked controversy by suggesting that the Central government was overstating the benefits of the GST 2.0 Utsav, implying that the extensive publicity far outweighed any tangible advantages for the average citizen. These comments were particularly noteworthy as they preceded PM Modi’s official visit to Andhra Pradesh.
During a press conference held on Thursday, BJP State spokesperson Jalli Madhusudhan firmly defended the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms. He hailed them as a transformative move by the Union government, crucial for strengthening the nation’s economy.
“The previous tax system was in complete disarray, and it was the NDA government that successfully streamlined the entire tax framework,” Madhusudhan asserted. “Furthermore, states are now receiving their rightful share of the taxes collected from the public, demonstrating the success of these reforms.”
Madhusudhan challenged Ms. Sharmila to substantiate her claims with concrete facts, rather than relying on what he called “hollow rhetoric” about GST 2.0. He further stated that her remarks, including a reference to ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ (a term often used to criticize GST), only served to highlight her lack of understanding on the subject.
The BJP leader also took the opportunity to question the Congress party’s stance on the ‘Special Category Status’ (SCS). He reminded that the Congress had directly supported the bifurcation of the state in 2014, expressing bewilderment at her continued advocacy for SCS.