Media blitz on GST a smokescreen to hide Centre’s unjust policies: KTR

Hyderabad: BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Tuesday slammed the Centre’s recent ‘media campaign’ around the removal or revision of the 12 per cent GST slab, calling it a diversionary tactic meant to overshadow the crippling burden imposed by fuel prices and unjust taxation policies over the last decade.

The BRS working president has written a strongly worded open letter to the Central Government ahead of the upcoming GST Council meeting, criticising the Modi-led administration for what he called ‘headline management through hollow announcements’ instead of addressing core economic issues faced by ordinary Indians.

Rama Rao said that the Centre has been aggressively promoting the idea that removing the 12 per cent GST slab will bring a ‘real Diwali’ to the people. But for a government that has consistently raised petrol, diesel, and LPG prices collecting lakhs of crores from the public, this is nothing more than propaganda,” KTR wrote. He criticised the hypocrisy of reducing GST rates on a handful of goods while continuing to impose massive monthly burdens through inflated fuel prices.

“If the Union Government truly intends to offer relief, it must begin by addressing the root cause: petrol and diesel prices. Reducing fuel prices will automatically bring down transport costs and, in turn, the prices of most essential commodities,” he said.

Reiterating the long-standing BRS demand, KTR called for the total removal of GST on handloom products, asserting that the handloom sector is not just an economic contributor but also a custodian of India’s cultural heritage.

KTR dismissed the proposal to abolish the 12 per cent GST slab as a token gesture. He pointed out that the slab accounts for just 5 per cent of the total Rs 22 lakh crore GST revenue.

“Reallocating this marginal slab into other categories while pretending to ‘help the poor and middle class’ is a cruel joke. This is not reform, it is optics,” he said. He also reminded the people that the BJP government was responsible for imposing GST on essential items like milk, curd, pulses, and salt—basic staples in every Indian household. “This government broke the backbone of the common man and is now trying to whitewash it with slab adjustments,” he added.

KTR said, “Despite crude oil prices returning to 2014 levels, Indians are still paying record-high rates for petrol and diesel. This is because of the Centre’s insatiable appetite for revenue through excise duties and cesses. If there is sincerity behind the PM’s ‘real Diwali’ words, start by cutting petrol, diesel, and LPG prices. Only then will people believe that your promises are not just more jumlas.”