GST At Centre, YST In Karnataka: Kumaraswamy Targets Congress

Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has made allegations of corruption against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, claiming his government of introducing a new tax called 'YST'.

'YST', as per H D Kumaraswamy, is Yathindra Siddaramaiah Tax. "A new tax system YST (Yathindra Siddaramaiah Tax) has been introduced by the government," India Today quoted him as saying.

Yathindra is Siddaramaiah's son and a former MLA from the Varuna constituency. He vacated the seat for his father in the 2023 Assembly polls.

The former Karnataka CM said that the state under Siddaramaiah's rule is collecting 'YST' like the way 'GST' is being collected across India.

On asking him to elaborate his allegations, the JDS state chief said that it should be answered by those who are holding 'midnight meetings with officials. "You should ask those who had deputed officials for this transfer business," he said.

It has to be noted that Congress had targeted the previous government on corruption through 'PayCM' campaign.

The former Chief Minister had also alleged that there is a "transfer syndicate" at work in the government seeking "cash-for-postings" and that corruption was rearing its head in all the departments.

"The transfer racket and corruption is spreading on a large scale. After the Transport and Revenue Departments (Sub-Registrar), a syndicate has come into existence in the Commercial Taxes Department to carry out transfer business," Kumaraswamy alleged.

"There is cash-for-posting going on unabated in this government, though Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot said in his speech to contain corruption. Each post is priced," the JD(S) leader alleged.

HDK claimed that a file containing the list of officials in the Commercial Tax Department to be transferred was prepared by the "syndicate" and is awaiting the signature of the Commissioner of the Department.