New Delhi [India], September 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at Congress and its leader over their criticism against the income tax slab changes and GST revamp, accusing them of making "false statements".
While addressing a gathering at the inaugural event of the Delhi BJP office, PM Modi compared the income tax collected during the Congress tenure and now, saying that a family spending Rs 1 lakh per year had to pay Rs 25,000 in taxes. Incomes above Rs 2 lakh were taxable until 2014, while there is zero tax on incomes up to Rs 12 lakh in today's time, he added.
"In 2014, when the Congress government was in power. 'Yeh Bayaan-bahadur' are experts at making false statements every day. But let me expose them. What was the state of income tax in our country until 2014? Incomes above 2 lakh rupees were taxable. Today, incomes up to 12 lakh rupees are taxed at zero. The same was true for taxes on goods and services. Before 2014, if a family spent 1 lakh rupees a year on daily needs, they had to pay around 25,000 rupees in taxes," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister asserted that a family has to pay only Rs 5,000 to 6,000 in taxes on an expenditure of Rs 1 lakh.
"When we introduced GST in 2017, goods became cheaper. Taxes were also reduced, and now, after the Next Generation GST reform, a family has to pay only Rs 5000-6000 in taxes on an expenditure of one lakh rupees. This means that compared to 11 years ago, the family is guaranteed to save approximately Rs 20,000 every year. If we combine the income tax and GST savings, the countrymen will save approximately Rs 2.5 lakh crore every year," he added.
Intensifying his attack against the opposition, PM Modi accused the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government of "looting what should have gone to the people" after the centre reduced the GST prices.
"The opposition says something else and does the opposite. As soon as we reduced the GST prices, they increased the cement prices in Himachal and began filling their coffers. The government in Himachal immediately started looting what should have gone to the people," the PM said.
"We must ensure that the benefits of the Next Generation GST refunds reach the common people. We must inform customers and educate our shopkeepers. Where we are in the opposition, our responsibility increases even more. The government there passes the full benefit of the GST reduction to the public; we must ensure this," he added.
The Prime Minister stated that India must become "self-reliant" and adopt a Swadeshi approach.
"We have to make India self-reliant and embrace Swadeshi. It is the responsibility of BJP workers to ensure that every shop has a board, and a large one with the inscription 'Say with pride, this is Swadeshi.' This should be displayed in every shop. This is the responsibility of every BJP worker. The less our dependence on foreign products, the better it will be for the country," PM Modi added.