Cong better quit hopes of winning Gujarat polls: Smriti slams Rahul

Navsari (Gujarat): Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying he should give up the hope of winning the Gujarat Assembly polls.

The Union Minister had hit back at Rahul for criticising the Goods and Services tax (GST) implemented by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.

"Rahul is an MP from Amethi Lok Sabha Constituency for the last 13 years and Gandhi-Nehru has ruled the Amethi Constituency for 50 years. He should be worried about the fact that in the Uttar Pradesh elections last year, the Congress could not win a single seat out of his five Vidhan Sabha seats," she said.

Irani added,"So someone who could not win his five Vidhan Sabha seats should stop dreaming about winning Gujarat elections. We and the people of Gujarat will not let this dream come true."

Read: BJP slashed GST rate due to Cong, mass pressure: Rahul Gandhi

Taking a jibe at the Congress leader for his statement on development in Gujarat, she said, "When Rahul talks of development, he should know that we went to lay the foundation stone of the collector's office of his constituency."

"He was not even able to build the collector's office, provide roads, education, health to his constituency. So on what basis is he talking about development in Gujarat?" she questioned.

The Congress has been critical of GST ever since it was implemented.

"In GST Council meeting, the Congress was also included. All the decisions have been taken till now on the basis of consensus. During the Congress rule, the GST was not passed as the state governments did not have faith in the party. In GST, someone whose annual income is below Rs 20 lakh is already exempted and that means poor are exempted from GST," Irani opined.

The Congress vice-president had called for structural changes in the uniform tax regime and termed GST as Gabbar Singh Tax.

Speaking at a rally in Gandhinagar, Gandhi said, "It's a good thing that the BJP government has slashed the tax rate from 28 percent to 18 percent for many products due to the pressure made by the Congress party and the people of India."

He further said, "We are still not happy and won't stop here. India doesn't want five different types of taxes, we want one. There's a need to make structural changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST)."

Earlier on Wednesday, while interacting with traders in Gujarat's Surat, Rahul said that Congress will reassess and restructure the GST, if they come to power at the Centre in the 2019 general elections.