CHENNAI: AIADMK interim General Secretary K Palaniswami on Wednesday expressed concern over the recent 5 per cent GST hike on pre-packed items, including rice and flour and lashed out at the ruling DMK for not effectively opposing the revision.
The Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition slammed state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan for remaining "mute" at the GST Council meet and recalled the past instances of the AIADMK government effectively arguing for tax cuts.
Palaniswami said the 5 per cent hike would largely affect the poor and middle classes, especially women who want a rollback of the revision, which also covers, among others paneer.
The prices of the items covered under the revised taxation will "skyrocket," and many sections, especially women have opposed it, Palaniswami said in a statement.
"Why has the (TN) Finance Minister remained mute in GST Council meets held after this DMK government came to power and not raised objection or opposition to such hikes which affect the common man?" he asked Referring to the Tamil term used by the ruling DMK to refer to the Centre, "Ondriyam," Palaniswami alleged it was an attempt by the ruling party to "belittle" the union government and said only the state's "ineptness" has come to the fore in this matter.
He also took a swipe at the DMK' assertion of "Dravidian model" of growth and development.
The state government's 'silence' in the GST Council over the said tax revision only shows the ruling DMK was not bothered about the welfare of the poor sections of the society, he alleged.
Palansiwami, whose AIADMK was defeated in the 2021 polls by archrival DMK, recalled that while in the ruling saddle, then minister D Jayakumar had effectively and successfully argued for various tax exemptions and cuts.
Particularly, GST on domestic wet grinders was reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent earlier, he recalled and said it has now been restored.
Criticising the DMK government for "not opposing" the tax hike in the latest GST Council meet, Palaniswami demanded that it should now press the council for rollback of the revision, "which was creating a huge burden" on the common people.