A heated Lok Sabha showdown between TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spotlighted GST’s quirks. Banerjee followed up with an explosive X thread, refuting charges of misrepresentation and laying bare the tax burdens on life’s basics.
Appreciating the minister’s engagement, he pivoted to Bengal’s unresolved demands for funds in rural employment, housing, roads, and water missions. ‘Time to straighten the facts,’ he declared.
Banerjee illustrated with stark examples: no GST on fresh milk, but 5% on powder for those who can’t afford fresh. School essentials beyond textbooks—copies, crayons—at 12%. Medical necessities like oxygen cylinders and anesthesia at 12%, insulin at 5%.
Crowning his argument, he targeted end-of-life costs: tax-free funerals, yet 5% on agarbatti. ‘Dukh par bhi price tag in New India,’ he satirized. The list extended to baby food (5%), napkins (18%), pencils (12%), broadband (18%), diagnostic kits (5%), and fuel duties.
In response, Sitharaman outlined exemptions: milk and education services untouched since 2017, books and supplies zero-rated, health and insurance reformed to nil, funerals always exempt. She fired back, implying West Bengal’s syndicates profit from death itself.
This verbal duel highlights GST’s contentious legacy, with Banerjee positioning it as punitive to the poor, fueling opposition narratives ahead of key electoral battles.