New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday joined the opposition protest against inflation and 5 per cent goods and service tax (GST) price on essential items, in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament, on the second day of the Monsoon session. Rahul Gandhi joined the Opposition protest at Parliament along with other Congress MPs including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. Speaking on the protest, Mallikarjun Kharge said that they will fight against price rise, inflation and GST rate hike of some essential commodities.
Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said, "Today, 53 years ago, banks were nationalised. It was a transformational change. Now, Modi Sarkar is on a privatisation spree. Public sector banks must be equipped to face competition, but selling them off to a chosen few will be disastrous! Congress will oppose the Bank Sale Bill."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday is discussing the government's strategy in Parliament with his top ministers, for the ongoing Monsoon session. DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva has given a suspension of business in the Rajya Sabha on the issue of a "hike in the price of petroleum products leading to increase in the price of essential commodities" while CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem sought suspension of business under rule 267 to discuss the issue of price rise and imposition of 5 per cent GST on essential items.
In the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Manickam Tagore filed an adjournment motion notice on imposition of 5 per cent GST on some items. Opposition leaders said they will keep up the pressure on the government on these issues. Both the Houses on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament was adjourned for a day amid disruptions by the opposition over the issue of price rise.
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The recommendations on Goods and Services Tax rates that were made during the 47th GST Council meeting held in June came into effect from Monday. Pre-packaged and labelled pulses, and cereals like rice, wheat, and flour (atta) will now attract 5 per cent GST when branded and packed in a unit container, whereas curd, lassi, and puffed rice would attract 5 per cent tax cent when pre-packaged and labelled. Other items such as curd, lassi, and puffed rice too would attract GST at the rate of 5 per cent when prepackaged and labelled.
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