Opposition criticises government, labels Finance Bill as "Tax Trap Bill"

Harsimrat Badal/ File Photo

The Finance Bill should be renamed the "tax trap bill," the opposition argued on Wednesday, accusing the Centre of engaging in "tax terrorism" and condemning it for encouraging a "reverse Robin Hood" scenario under the Modi administration. Folklore has it that Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor, reported PTI.

According to the report, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee acknowledged that India's economy was the fastest-growing while pointing out that the poor were not benefiting from this growth during the Finance Bill debate. He drew attention to the lack of policies for the unorganised sector and ways to address the issue of unemployment. In addition, Banerjee attacked the budgetary allotment for West Bengal and brought attention to the nation's 1.5 million-strong physician shortage.

"Another problem is that contractors are appointed, and workers are appointed through them. When the contractor's service ends, the workers also become unemployed. Therefore, the government will have to pay attention to the employment security of the employees," Banerjee said.

Similar remarks were made by Kalanidhi Veerasamy of the DMK, who criticised the administration for failing to lower unemployment and assist the Micro, Medium, and Small Enterprises (MSME) sectors. He pleaded with the Centre to remove the 18 per cent GST on health and life insurance, the report added.

Furthermore, the news agency report stated that R Sudha of the Congress retorted the government was not providing cash for Tamil Nadu schools under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. Congressman Shafi Parambil referred to the budget as a "kursi bachao budget" (save the seat budget) and attacked it, claiming it was motivated by a "hunger for power." He denounced the government's inaction and the growing jobless rate, calling the strategy "tax terrorism."

Meanwhile, Pappu Yadav, an independent member of parliament, questioned the government's tax policy on critical medicines and its unfulfilled pledges to create jobs. He insisted that Bihar receive a special economic package.

MP Harsimrat Badal of Shiromani Akali Dal, per the news agency report, called the Finance law a "tax trap bill," pointing out how many levies are included in it. She maintained that the bill burdens the general public while favouring corporations.

"If you earn money you pay tax, if you spend money, you pay tax, if you save or invest money, you pay tax, if you pay tax then also you have to pay tax in the form of cess. When young or older, rich or poor, everyone has been trapped in the tax, why it should be called finance bill. It should be called a tax trap bill which traps 140 crore Indians and does not spare anyone but the bill is definitely very kind to the corporates. Taxing life and health insurance is nothing less than tax terrorism," said Harsimrat.

The independent member of parliament for Sangli, Maharashtra, Vishal Prakashbapu Patil, likened the government's tax policies to a reverse Robin Hood. "We used to listen to Robinhood stories during childhood but here a reverse Robinhood is going on," he said.

Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of AIMIM, condemned the cut in social system allocations and demanded that the GST be removed from health and life insurance fees. He mentioned the contributions of Muslim liberation fighters and denounced the purported attempts by the government to seize Waqf holdings, the PTI report stated.

Sharp criticism from the opposition highlights the general discontent with the government's tax and budgetary policies.