Bring petrol, diesel under GST to prevent profiteering: Rahul

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said petrol and diesel should be brought under the GST regime to prevent excessive profiteering.

He said he hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi would see the "GST mess" from the "prism of the suffering people" rather than electoral interests.

In a series of tweets coinciding with a Goods and Services Tax Council meeting during the day, Rahul Gandhi said there was a need to correct a "distorted" structure concerning textiles.

He also took a dig at Modi over his description of GST as 'good and simple tax' and said 'one nation, seven tax' should be made simpler and the processing of filing of returns made easy.

The Congress leader said agriculture was in deep distress as agricultural equipment was taxed under the GST.

"Wish Modi-ji viewed economic slide and GST mess from the prism of solving (sic) the suffering of people than furthering electoral interests.

"Then, the first step would be to bring petrol/diesel under the GST to prevent excessive profiteering from common man as GOI (government of India) alone earns Rs 273,000 crore."

"Textiles -- second biggest job generator yearns for correcting distorted GST structure. Traders, MSMEs, small businesses suffer and cronies profit," he said.

He also tweeted: "Agriculture in deep distress as pesticides, fertilisers, tractors, agricultural equipment, cold storage and warehouse construction taxed under GST."

"Time to correct the 'one Nation, seven Tax, multiple form filing and draconian power of taxman. Make it good and simple beyond rhetoric," Rahul Gandhi added.

--IANS

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