The BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress of spreading “fake news” over possible charges on UPI transactions, asserting that consumers will not be made to pay merchant discount rate (MDR) charges.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari hit back at Congress leaders who questioned the Centre’s recent notification on UPI payments, calling the opposition party a “jhooth ki dukaan”.
“Congress is once again spreading fake news,” Bhandari said in a post on X, adding that 96 per cent of UPI merchant transactions are of Rs 2,000 or below and remain charge-free. He also said RuPay debit-card payments and person-to-person UPI transactions continue to be free.
“The Government has made it absolutely clear: MDR charges will NOT be levied on consumers,” he said.
The BJP's response came after Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, alleged that the government’s notification was paving the way for charges on UPI transactions.
The government’s September 14 gazette notification directed banks and payment system providers not to levy charges on UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000 or on payments made through RuPay debit cards.
However, it did not specify whether charges could be introduced on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 for merchants. UPI transactions have so far remained free irrespective of the amount.
Congress leaders cited reports suggesting that merchants could eventually be charged for higher-value UPI transactions. Kharge alleged that the government was paving the way for charges of Rs 25 on a Rs 5,000 transaction and Rs 50 on a Rs 10,000 transaction.
BJP IT department head Amit Malviya rejected the claim, saying there was no government order fixing such charges or a 0.5 per cent rate for transactions above Rs 2,000.
He said the notification only clarified the zero-charge protection for UPI and RuPay transactions up to Rs 2,000 and stressed that no charges were being imposed on consumers.
Malviya said any future MDR, if introduced, would apply to specified merchant transactions and not to consumers or person-to-person UPI payments.
He also termed the Rs 25 and Rs 50 figures cited by the Congress as “fabricated calculations” based on a hypothetical 0.5 per cent rate.
According to sources, a committee comprising representatives of banks, payment service providers and industry associations is expected to decide on any charges for UPI merchant transactions above Rs 2,000.
(With inputs from PTI)
