Prime Minister Modi delivered the keynote speech at the Republic Summit today and set the tone for the upcoming 2019 general elections. Drawing the map for the future, the Prime Minister said that India’s future was bright and listen how rapidly India was surging ahead since 2014.
He also reiterated that earlier, it was unthinkable that a Congress leader like Sajjan Kumar would be sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1984 pogrom case. It is worthy to note here that the High Court itself had observed that Sajjan Kumar got widespread political patronage and that there was an effort to shield him.
In the court of his Republic Summit keynote address, the Prime Minister made a big announcement regarding GST slabs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that soon, 99% items would fall under 18% or under GST slab.
#PMSurgingIndiaSpeech | BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: 99% items soon to fall under 18% or under GST slab, says PM Modi in his keynote speech at Republic Summit 2018https://t.co/l35SZrps7Y
— Republic (@republic) December 18, 2018
“Today, GST system has been established to a large extent and we are working towards a position 99% things would attract the sub- 18% slab”, said the Prime Minister.
He also hinted that only a few luxury items would eventually remain in the 28% GST slab.
On the subject of GST, during the Surging India Summit panel discussion on “Is Consensus possible?”, Praful Patel of the NCP asserted that GST will not be a factor in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. He stated, “We are getting too technical about GST, I don’t think it is fundamental to the elections of 2019. GST will not be the central issue.” He also said that nobody disputes the need for GST.
When asked about why political parties supported GST unanimously while it was being passed and then created a ruckus, he said it was politics. Pertinent to note here that Rahul Gandhi had termed the GST as “Gabbar Singh Tax” and had made a sweeping demand that all items should be taxed in the same slab. This would mean that a beedsheet and a luxury car would basically draw the same GST.
Praful Patel’s stand, although consistent with that of his own party, is a marked departure from that of its ally, the Congress.
During the debate, Farooq Abdullah and Praful Patel made the claim that the implementation of GST was delayed due to obstructionist tactics of the BJP. Minister for Railways, Pirush Goyal refuted the assertions claiming that the opposition to GST was based on issues.
Refuting the allegations made by the Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Goyal asserted that the opposition to GST was based on specific issues and there were fundamental problems with the GST that was promulgated by the UPA government.
Goyal said that there was a lack of trust between the state governments and the Union Government. He said, “I think it was a matter of issues — the type of GST that was being proposed. Also, the credit-trust in that government (UPA) was missing”.
