Karnataka govt using GST notices to undermine Digital India initiative: C T Ravi

Former minister and senior BJP leader C T Ravi on Tuesday slammed the state government for issuing GST-related notices to small traders. 

He said the move was politically motivated, intended to harass small traders and disrupt the Digital India initiative launched by the union government to promote transparency in market transactions.

Ravi told reporters that the notices were issued to small traders in the state entirely at the instructions of the state government.

“Had these notices been issued by the central government or any central agency, they should have been served to small traders across the country. But these notices have been served only in Karnataka and that too by the state’s commercial taxes department,” he said.

Ravi said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar must take full responsibility for the problem. “It is their failure and they must accept it,” the MLC said.

Accusing the government of undermining reforms, the BJP leader said, “We believe these notices are part of a broader attempt to derail Digital India. By creating panic, the government is enabling the return of middlemen and underhand dealings — this is a step backward”.

Ravi said, “Bengaluru is known as the IT capital of India and has built a reputation for clean digital transactions. But this government seems intent on reversing that progress by encouraging cash-based, opaque dealings”.

“We demand the immediate withdrawal of these unjust notices to prevent further panic and corruption,” he said.

Ravi’s remarks come amid growing anger among the state’s small trader communities, many of whom claim they have received backdated GST notices, even though they fall under exempt categories such as sellers of milk, meat and flowers.

Several trader associations have announced statewide protests in response to the notices.

The BJP leader said that his party would extend moral support to the traders’ protest on Wednesday and confirmed that some BJP leaders and members would join the agitation.