Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi made an important tweet on GST in 2016, 8 years ago. In which he said that GST is equally affected both rich and poor as indirect tax.
I urge GST Council to keep its rate 18% or less so that the poor do not fall unnecessary burden! In 2016, the ministers of BJP and Modi government made fun of Rahul Gandhi’s statement. He was called Pappu by BJP leaders and trolled as Sonia Tax. Rahul’s tweet of 2016 is still teasing BJP people on X. The Modi government is often accused of copying Rahul Gandhi’s announcements, ideas. But the issue of GST is amazing. On August 15, PM Modi announced the same with the ramparts of the Red Fort that by Diwali the next generation GST improvement will be just two rates: 5% and 18%. With the goal of furthering the next generation reforms in the GST system before Diwali in October, the low tax burden will be a Diwali gift for the common man, small entrepreneurs and MSMEs. What did Rahul Gandhi say to the Modi government on 1 July.
Rahul Gandhi wrote a long post on X on 1 July 2025. Which shows how much Rahul Gandhi meditate on the Modi government. What he wrote, if he wants to study in a line, it will be read like this- “Even after 8 years, Modi government does not have GST tax improvement. This has become a way to benefit the poor and benefit rich friends. ” But it is necessary to read Rahul Gandhi’s post of July 1 in the context.
Rahul Gandhi wrote on 1 July- “GST was made so that it should punish the poor, eliminate small traders (MSME), reduce the strength of the states, and benefit some billionaires of the Prime Minister. The government had said that GST would be “Good and Simple Tax” (good and easy tax). But in fact it has become very complicated, which has 5 different tax slabs and so far it has been replaced 900 times. Even items like Carmel Popcorn and Cream Ban are caught in its confused rules. ”Rahul Gandhi also said- MSME, who give the most jobs in India, has suffered the most. More than 18 lakh small industries have been closed in the last 8 years. The leader Opposition wrote on 1 July- Today the common man has to pay GST on everything from tea to health insurance, while big companies get a tax exemption of more than ₹ 1 lakh crore every year. He said- The GST’s thinking was first given by the UPA government so that there is a similar tax system in the whole of India and business becomes easy. But the Modi government has wrongly implemented this thinking- which is benefiting people, and some are benefiting. Now there is a need for a GST that is in the interest of the common people, easy for traders, and give equal rights to all states. Rahul has finally written – India needs a tax system that works for every citizen – whether it is a shopkeeper, farmer or common family – so that everyone can become a partner in the growth of the country.
Congress released a statement on GST on Saturday
The Congress party has increased pressure on the central government demanding improvement in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system. The party has demanded issuing a white paper on GST 2.0, so that the tax system’s flaws can be removed and make it more simple, transparent and effective.
The party spokesperson said, “Many problems have come to light since the implementation of GST. The government should issue a white paper that has a clear plan for the GST 2.0 and its implementation.” He also said that after discussing with all the stakeholders in the GST Council, a system should be created which is inclusive and practical. The Congress also alleged that the government has shown failure to meet the targets of revenue collection under GST, which has affected the financial interests of the states. The party demanded that the central government should form a policy in collaboration with the states that are beneficial for all sides. This demand comes at a time when the debate on its effectiveness continues even after eight years of implementation of GST. The Congress has warned that if the government does not improve soon, it will take the issue to the public and can start a wide movement.