Team Herald
PANJIM: Former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday claimed that the nation under the present NDA government is going through the worst type of ‘tax terrorism’. Sinha went to say that the nation is currently going through an emergency-like situation which is different from the one imposed in 1975 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
“When we were in opposition, we used to accuse the UPA government of being involved in tax terrorism and we had promised that if we are voted to power we will finish it but with the present government tax terrorism has become the order of the day,” Sinha said addressing a gathering on the topic “Indian Economy and Challenges before Democracy” at a lectures series organised by Citizens for Democracy.
He added, “After the demonetisation move by the government, there were 20 lakh cases filed seeking explanation about the money which was deposited with banks during that tenure. The GST tax regime which is introduced by the current government has put lakhs of traders in trouble.”
The former Union Minister further said since the introduction of GST on July 1, 2017, there have been 357 amendments made to it. “This is a joke with the tax system in the entire country and everyone is being troubled in some way or the other. We cannot trust the figures put out by this government and what they are dishing out to you,” he said.
The minister also said that the nation is presently going through an emergency-like situation. “Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s emergency is different from the present situation of emergency. One fine day she announced emergency across the country and people who were in opposition were jailed and media was censored and that step taken by her was a political one,” he said.
He added, “The emergency which we witness currently is an undeclared one. It is a slow poison which is being injected into the body politic of this country.”
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Charge must be given to another minister: sinha
Claiming that the State’s current condition is unprecedented, with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in USA for medical treatment, former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday suggested handing over charge to another minister. “In absence of the Chief Minister, one minister should be given the charge so that he could chair Cabinet meetings and take decisions in the absence of Parrikar, even if you don’t give him CM’s status,” Sinha said, speaking to reporters. Responding to a question on whether there is a provision in the Constitution for appointment of Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC) to run the State in the absence of the Chief Minister, he said, “The Constitution does not define everything in writing, but if you work in the true spirit of the Constitution, one person should be given charge in the absence of the Chief Minister who can preside over Cabinet meetings and take decisions so that the government can run.”
