The Madhya Pradesh Congress is gearing up for a state-wide protest on September 26-27 against the government’s decision to impose a 0% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on beef. This move has ignited a political firestorm, with Congress leaders, led by state president Jitu Patwari, condemning the move as a measure to boost beef exports.
The controversial notification issued by the Madhya Pradesh Commercial Tax Department effectively exempts beef from GST. Patwari, addressing the media in Bhopal on September 23rd, along with priests, strongly criticized the central and state governments. He accused the government of hypocrisy, claiming they speak highly of cow protection while simultaneously facilitating their slaughter.
Patwari announced the Congress party’s firm stance against the decision, vowing to prevent cow slaughter and beef exports at any cost. He criticized the BJP for using the cow as a political tool while failing to protect them, highlighting India’s status as a leading beef exporter under the current government.
The Congress leader also targeted the state government, alleging that it is controlled by the mafia. He recalled Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of GST, calling it the ‘Gabbar Singh Tax,’ which he says is detrimental to the nation’s economy. He accused the Modi government of favoring the wealthy through policies like demonetization and GST.
Patwari called for accountability, demanding that the revenue collected from the zero-rated GST on beef over the past eight years be returned. He vowed to expose the ‘fake cow devotees’ to the public. The Congress plans to organize a movement involving visits to cow shelters and taking stray cows to the collector’s office.
BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma responded to the allegations by stating that he didn’t find such provision in the GST list. He said that the Congress is supporting cow smugglers. He declared that those involved in cow slaughter will be jailed.
Sharma reminded that the BJP government had already introduced a law in 2004 to prevent cow slaughter and criticized the Congress for not taking any action. He stated that the Kamal Nath-led Congress government, in which Jitu Patwari was a minister, was supporting cow smugglers and wanted to jail cow herders. He pointed out that Madhya Pradesh has a provision for 10 years of imprisonment for cow slaughter.