New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): As India marked eight years of the Goods and Services Tax on Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government and termed the GST rolled out by it as a 'brutal tool of economic injustice and corporate cronyism.'

The Congress leader alleged that the GST rolled out by the government was designed to 'punish the poor, crush MSMEs, undermine states, and benefit a few billionaire friends of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.'

'A 'Good and Simple Tax' was promised. Instead, India got a compliance nightmare and a five-slab tax regime that has been amended over 900 times. Even caramel popcorn and cream buns are caught in its web of confusion. The bureaucratic maze favours big corporates who can navigate its loopholes with armies of accountants, while small shopkeepers, MSMEs, and ordinary traders drown in red tape,' he said in a post on X.

'The GST portal remains a source of daily harassment. MSMEs - India's largest job creators have suffered the most. Over 18 lakh enterprises have shut down since the rollout of GST eight years ago. Citizens now pay GST on everything from tea to health insurance, while corporates enjoy over Rs one lakh crore in tax breaks annually,' he added.

He said Petrol and diesel have been deliberately kept outside the GST framework, hurting farmers, transporters, and ordinary people.

'GST dues are also weaponised to punish non-BJP ruled states - clear proof of the Modi government's anti-federal agenda. GST was a visionary idea by the UPA, meant to unify India's markets and simplify taxation. But its promise has been betrayed by poor implementation, political bias, and bureaucratic overreach,' he said.

Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, said a reformed GST must be people-first, business-friendly, and truly federal in spirit.

'India deserves a tax system that works for all, not just the privileged few, so that every Indian, from the small shopkeeper to the farmer, can be a stakeholder in our nation's progress,' he said. (ANI)