BENGALURU: Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Council N Ravi Kumar and BJP MLC CT Ravi slammed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for attempting to shift the blame on the Prime Minister on the ongoing GST imbroglio in Karnataka.
Ravi Kumar blamed Siddaramaiah for discouraging PM Modi’s digital India push by forcing small traders, retail merchants, and street vendors to adopt “cash only policy” instead of UPI. It is deplorable on the part of Siddaramaiah to adopt a regressive policy, he said.
The notices are being issued only on the basis of third party information without any verification, and the small traders, street vendors, and retail merchants are in panic, he said.
The BJP leader said notices have been issued to vendors who deal exclusively in exempted goods such as fruits, flowers, meat, etc, indicating a lack of application of mind by the officers.
MLC CT Ravi said that after notices were issued, many traders have stopped accepting money through UPI.
He said that the notices were issued to small traders based on the directives given by the CM during a meeting of Finance Department officers. Notices were issued to small traders only in Karnataka, and it was not done in any other states, he said. The State Government must admit that its treasury is empty, he said, and added that the BJP extends its support to the protest called by the small traders.