Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday took a potshot the Centre’s Narendra Modi government over the cuts in GST, saying that it took four months for common sense to “germinate, flower and ripen into a fruit”.
“Ministry of Finance must be complimented for ‘improving’ the macro-economic situation in four months and 10 days!” Chidambaram said in a tweet.
Ministry of Finance must be complimented for ‘improving’ macro-economic situation in 4 months and 10 days!
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) November 11, 2017
Chidambaram’s another tweet said, “Four months and 10 days is the time taken for commonsense to germinate, flower and ripen into a fruit.”
4 months and 10 days is the time taken for commonsense to germinate, flower and ripen into a fruit.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) November 11, 2017
The former Finance Minister’s remarks came a day after the GST Council removed 178 items from the highest 28 per cent category.
Soon after the GST Council had decided to reduce rates for 178 mass consumption items, Chidambaram had taken to Twitter to announce that his party stood vindicated. He had also taken a dig at the BJP leadership alleging that the decision to bring down rates was keeping the Gujarat elections in mind.
He had said, “Congress is vindicated. I am vindicated. The merit of capping GST at 18% is now recognised. Thank you Gujarat. Your elections did what Parliament and common sense could not do.”
On Friday the GST council had decided to reduce tax rate on a wide range of mass use items – from chewing gums to detergents – to 18% from current 28%.