Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said that the traders who have called for a nationwide strike have done so because their businesses are suffering due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
"The traders who have called for a bandh have done so because their businesses are suffering due to GST. A major chunk of the traders are marginal traders who work on a very small amount of profit and it is natural that they will suffer because of GST. In an environment where consumption is falling along with investment and unemployment is increasing, these protests would be seen," Sibal told ANI.
"The government has also conceded that the growth rate for 2019-20 will be 5 per cent. In actuality, the growth rate is not even that much. It is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 per cent. For the first time since 1975, the nominal growth rate is in single digit at 7.53 per cent," he added.
Speaking on JNU violence, Sibal said: "The government is operating as a dictatorial regime. Whoever opposes them is called a Pakistani and faces a risk of their onslaught. It has been confirmed that the attackers in JNU were affiliated to ABVP."
Transport and banking services at several places are likely to be affected due to the 'Bharat Bandh', called by all 10 Central trade unions along with different federations, being organised to protest against "anti-worker policies of BJP government" on Wednesday. The Trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) will not be taking part in the strike.
The trade unions have a 12-point charter of demand which includes the dropping of the proposed labour reforms by the centre.
A Bill on labour reforms was passed which proposes the merger of 44 labour laws into four codes -- wages, industrial relations, social security, and safe working conditions.
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