Activists demand roll back of GST on handmade articles

Demanding zero GST on all handmade goods, celebrities, activists and citizens staged a protest against the Centre at Town Hall Circle on Sunday.

They slammed the Centre for willfully forgetting its promise to exempt handmade goods from the purview of the Goods and Services Tax, and asked for immediate action on the issue.

Acclaimed theatre personality Prasanna said the Centre had reneged on its word regarding GST exemption. "It has taken an entirely anti-farmer stand. They should work to increase the income of the rural poor, else quit. They are only dishing out false statistics," Prasanna said.

Noting that it has been a year since GST was introduced, Shyamala Devi, member of the Grama Seva Sangh that organised the protest, said: "The government may be celebrating today, but we are observing a black day. In fact, they are working against the Gandhian principles."

Prasanna pointed out that the Centre had agreed to exempt 29 handmade products from GST, but has done nothing in the past one year.

"Gandhi breathed his last, with the words 'Hey Ram'. We'll chant the same until justice is done," said Grama Seva Sangh president Yathiraj.