BJP's GST issue mere 'hypocrisy': Congress

The Congress on Sunday alleged that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) issue of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is nothing but "double-standard" and "hypocrisy" as it was never an issue for them between 2004 and 2014.

"The same BJP which held the GST to ransom for all these years, because of their political predilections, it's suddenly taking a U-turn and trying to proclaim that the GST has become the most important for the economy. For the lack of a better word, this is hypocrisy and double-standard," Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI.

"The Finance Minsiter's party...the BJP held the GST for ten long years. If I can take the Finance Minister back to the statement of former Prime Minister of India in 2011 February," he was asked as to why the GST is not going through. He said because the BJP wants certain criminal cases against one of their ministers to be withdrawn. That is evidence of holding democracy and GST to ransom," he added.

Tewari questioned the BJP as to why the issue of the GST Bill has suddenly become a priority in 2015.

Slamming the Congress for holding democracy to ransom over the National Herald case, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday that his government has not taken any step in the case.

"Action has so far not been taken. ED has not issued any notice. Tax authorities have not passed any assessment order," he said at the Aaj Tak Agenda programme. "The government will wait for the outcome of court proceedings. If there is a tax angle, then taxation authorities will ask questions for which there is a due process," he said.