NEW DELHI—Congress Parliamentarian Ravneet Bittu on July 21 raked up the issue of imposition of GST on religious shrines by the Union government in Rajya Sabha. Opposing the imposition of GST on ‘langar’ and ‘prashad’ of religious shrines, he said that the tax was meant for profitable business entities but the BJP led Union government has imposed GST on religious shrines offering free food and other services to common masses.
Speaking in the zero hour of Rajya Sabha’s session, Ravneet Bittu said that more than 100,000 devotees take food daily at the free community kitchen of sanctum sanctorum Sri Harmandir Sahib but by imposing GST the government has put burden of more than 100 million rupees annually on the holiest Sikh shrine.
It may be recalled here that the Sikh bodies SGPC and DSGMC have been also making efforts to get exemption from GST. SGPC President Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar had made numerous requests to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and GST Council to exempt SGPC from GST by writing a letter. But the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had expressed helplessness in facilitating exemption to the apex Sikh body.
1984 events was done by CONGRESS party .
Had BJP govt been in power no Genocide -84 or Blue star would have taken place .
So get your facts clear .
Also begin to see CNN and RT and Al Jazeera to understand world Politics .
Stop blaming the wrong party .
No not paranoid they are the ruling party hence what his happening in Punjab and India when minorities are being persecuted.
Paranoid of RSS.
Why Surinder?
True what you say Hardeep – this is another ploy by the RSS to undermine our beliefs.
This is not True.
You are being fed with an propoganda.
Most of the countries give deductions on charities, but law makers of India have gone mad with greed, they are imposing taxes on charitable religious institutions like Zazia (religion tax ) by Aurangjeb to all religions except Muslims. Mandirs are exempt from GST but not Gurdwaras.
Congress should not speak for Sikh religion..
We are willing to pay GST.
who is the ‘we’ you are referring to?
100 million in tax….that’s 100 million less to grow Sikhi.
You are STILL a fool.
The BJP is in power .
We need to request the Finance minister.
Paranoid of RSS why Surinder.