Congress High Command Doesn’t Do Its Homework: Sitharaman On Opposition Reaction To GST Reforms

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 19:15 IST

FM Nirmala Sitharaman to CNN-News18: "At one point in time, they call it Gabbar Singh Tax, another point in time saying, oh, this is fine, but it should have come earlier."

FM Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about how PM Modi had sought GST reforms eight months ago. (PTI File)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi on Friday, reacted to the Opposition’s remarks on goods and services tax (GST) reforms, saying “they don’t do their homework".

When asked how Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, who earlier called it Gabbar Singh Tax, now has been talking about one nation, one tax, and former Finance Minister from the Congress P. Chidambaram’s remarks that it is eight years too late, the FM said, “Well, being in the opposition, I think they have to say something when the popular response has been so overwhelming for an opposition to try to take some credit out of it. But yet, with a hesitation that the credit should not be completely given to the government, it’s quite understandable."

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“But I would want them to ponder that neither could they bring it in because they couldn’t win the confidence of the states, nor could they truly and literally understand how the mechanism works. After all, the GST Council has members from Congress party, finance ministers from Congress rule states are there. But I have a feeling the Congress high command, as they call it, doesn’t do its homework to understand that the way in which this wonderful organization works, the GST Council," said Sitharaman.

“Therefore, at one point in time, they call it Gabbar Singh Tax, another point in time saying, oh, this is fine, but it should have come earlier. These are clearly statements coming from people who have not really spent time to understand how post-independence, that one institution which has been created, a constitutional body. If I’m right, this is the only one which has been created post-independence," said the FM.

Sitharaman said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought goods and services tax reforms eight months ago. “The Prime Minister did announce it from the Red Fort on Independence Day. But even about eight months ago, he called me once and had a long talk on how GST can be revamped and looked at from the point of view of process and the tax rates for the common man. He asked me if there was a way in which we could make it simpler. I had agreed to come back to him," said Sitharaman.

“Around the budget, he reminded me and I assured him the work was progressing and I will come back to him. As the budget session was over, I said I was somewhere close to proposal on which he could guide me further. Much later, with the developments of April and Operation Sindoor, when the opportunity came I went for the discussion," said the FM.

“The PM said I want a simplified way of doing business so I don’t want small business sitting at computer getting their auditors to do it. And also, like the way we did in the budget, respecting the middle class, taxpayer, respecting people who are paying taxes out of their salaries…This tax touches the life of every citizen, so we need to be a lot more sensitive…We did it. Sharp focussed it and that is how the proposal came. It is the first time in GST Council’s history, the Centre has come up with a proposal…Till now it used to be the Group of Ministers…" she said.

“It is a first in case of the compensation cess, where the MoS Finance was the chair to decide how to handle the closure, and a comprehensive proposal as regards GST given by the Central government. It is unique in very many ways. Every rule of the Council had to be looked at afresh even for the proposal. I am glad it went through the grind. It didn’t ignore any rule or expectation," she said.

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