GST roll out: SP decides to participate in Parliament special session

The GST, being billed as the biggest tax reform since Independence, will subsume all indirect state and central levies, making India a single market.

The opposition party of Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party on Friday decided to participate in the Parliament special session of GST launch.

A while ago, SP leader Naresh Agarwal, termed the new indirect tax regime GST as a black law which the party opposes. Agarwal went to say that the SP was opposed to the GST, and would not support it.

"GST is a black law and it will be similar to re-establishment of the East India Company in the country," he said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday asked opposition parties such as the Congress and the Left to reconsider their decision to skip the midnight GST launch tomorrow, saying they were all consulted on the indirect tax reform and cannot run away from it.

"I hope every political party will reconsider and revisit its decision on not participating in the launch event to be organised in the Central Hall of Parliament," he said.

The Congress, Trinamool Congress, decided to keep away from the special midnight June 30 meeting convened by the government on GST implementation.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has already questioned the government on "hurrying" into introducing GST and recalled that the ruling BJP had opposed the system when it was in the opposition.

The GST, being billed as the biggest tax reform since Independence, will subsume all indirect state and central levies, making India a single market.

(With agency inputs)