The Madhya Pradesh Congress has announced a protest on September 26-27 against the recent government decision to set the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on beef at 0%. The state’s Commercial Tax Department issued a notification to this effect, which has drawn strong criticism from the Congress party.
Jitu Patwari, the Madhya Pradesh Congress President, has accused the government of prioritizing beef exports with this move. Speaking in Bhopal on September 23rd, he addressed the media and priests, voicing the Congress party’s strong opposition.
Patwari alleged that the government’s actions contradict its public stance on cow protection. He vowed that the Congress would resist any attempts to slaughter cows or export beef. He accused the BJP of using the cow for political mileage while failing to protect it, noting India’s status as a major beef exporter.
He also criticized the state government, claiming it’s become a haven for the mafia, and reiterated Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of GST. He added that policies like demonetization and GST were designed to benefit the rich.
Patwari demanded that the revenue collected over the past eight years due to the zero percent GST on beef be returned. He pledged to expose those he called ‘fake cow devotees’ and said that the Congress will conduct a movement including visits to all cow shelters, and taking stray cows to the collector’s office.
In response, BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma stated that he did not find any provision in the GST list. He alleged that the Congress is working with cow smugglers. He said that there is place for those involved in cow slaughter will be in jail.
Sharma added that the BJP government enacted a law in 2004 to prevent cow slaughter. He criticized the Congress for not taking any action.