New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of spreading propaganda against the GST as the opposition party is "rattled by the success" of the indirect tax regime.

In a statement, BJP national spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said, "The Congress is the biggest hindrance to the country's development. The party is rattled by the success of the GST because it no longer has any loopholes, depriving the Congress of corruption." As a result, he claimed, the Congress has been attempting to tarnish the image of GST from the start.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday alleged that the Narendra Modi government has made the Goods and Services Tax (GST) a means of "looting" the hard-earned money of the poor and middle class and demanded that it end this "tax terrorism" and "loot" in the upcoming Union Budget.

Kharge further alleged that nine types of rates make GST "complex and absurd" and not a "good and simple tax".

BJP spokesperson Islam noted that the Congress initially referred to GST as the "Gabbar Singh Tax" despite the fact that it was the Congress's government that first introduced the concept.

The GST collections, he said, have set new records, and the government has also increased the central grants given to states.

Islam added, "The Congress, on the other hand, is only engaged in spreading falsehoods and misleading the public, as it has no other agenda." The GST collection was Rs 21.51 lakh crore from January to December 2024. As for the financial year 2024-25, it has already reached Rs 16.33 lakh crore, with three months still remaining in the fiscal year, he said.

The ease of tax compliance under GST has also benefited consumers, he added.

Noting that the GST council includes chief ministers and finance ministers from several opposition-ruled states, including Congress, he said not a single decision in its 55 meetings so far has been made without a unanimous agreement. PTI KR SKY SKY

Goods and Services Tax faces political dispute over complexity and alleged misuse, amid claims of strong collections and consensus. The dispute centers on the Goods and Services Tax: defenders cite record collections, increased central grants, eased compliance, and unanimous GST Council decisions as proof of effectiveness, while critics assert the tax burdens lower- and middle-income taxpayers, decry multiple rate categories as making GST complex, and demand reform or curtailment in the national budget to address perceived inequities.