Bengaluru, July 21 Hitting back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday that the BJP is trying to fix the Congress-led government in the state over the GST row.
Speaking to the media near his residence in Sadashivanagar, Shivakumar responded to queries on the issue.
"BJP is trying to eat the banana and wipe it on our nose by issuing GST notices to small traders," the Deputy Chief Minister said, while targetting opposition BJP in the state.
"The BJP-led Central government had fixed an annual turnover limit of Rs 40 lakh back in 2019 and directed all state governments to comply with it. The BJP government must stop harassing the poor. There are lakhs of small traders dealing in vegetables, fruits, tender coconuts, and flowers. Already, 14,000 traders have been served notices. Our leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier raised his voice against GST. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will discuss this matter with officials to explore how we can help the people and provide appropriate guidance," Shivakumar added.
Asked whether the state government would write to the Centre about the issue, he replied, "We will definitely write. Justice must be ensured for our people. Karnataka is the state that pays the highest amount of GST. This is causing hardship to our poor and middle-class traders."
Asked whether the notices were issued because the Chief Minister gave targets to officials, Shivakumar clarified, "Officials have issued notices based on the rules framed by the Central GST Council. These notices are being issued due to pressure from the central committee."
Asked about Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's next visit to the state, he said, "On July 25, the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) and I are visiting Delhi. The Parliament session is also underway. This is all the information I currently have," he added.
Shivakumar has also told that he will not be able to meet anyone for the next three days due to other commitments.
He said that he will not be able to meet the public, party leaders or workers during this period.
"I regret the inconvenience. I request that no one misunderstand this," he appealed in a statement to the media.
Shivakumar said on Sunday that small traders and street vendors are facing problems due to the GST introduced by the BJP government at the Centre.
"Notices are being issued to all those who are doing business of more than Rs 40 lakh and notices are being issued to tender coconut sellers, vegetable vendors, etc. This is the achievement of the Union government. The traders don't have to worry, we will take necessary actions to protect their interest," he added.
"We have made several appeals to the Centre for funds for the last two years, but none of the BJP MPs are speaking for the state. They are not concerned about the poor of the state. Karnataka gets only Rs 13 for every Rs 100 it gives to the Centre in the form of taxes," he said.
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