The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday took out a protest march here against the Centre's decision to impose a 12 per cent goods and services tax on inns.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Tuesday condemned the Centre for imposing GST on inns, saying it goes against the devotion of pilgrims staying at 'sarais' near the Golden Temple.
The GST Council had in June decided that a 12 per cent tax will be levied on all hotel rooms charging below Rs 1,000 per day. The AAP protesters on Wednesday took out the protest march from Bhandari Bridge to Hall Gate.
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During the protest, agitators raised slogans against the BJP-led central government for imposing the “Jizyah tax.” Jizyah was a tax system in countries that were governed by Islamic law against non-Muslim population. The tax was also levied by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in territories ruled by him in India.
The AAP protest was led by party state secretary Gurdev Singh Lakhana and its Amritsar district president Prabhbir Singh Brar with other AAP workers. Lakhana said, “the Modi government's anti-Sikh and anti-Punjab decision to levy 12 per cent GST on 'sarais' (inns) is very unfortunate.”
He said these 'sarais' are built only for the convenience of pilgrims who come to worship at the Golden Temple. “No one's personal interest or benefit is involved in it,” he said.
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(With PTI Inputs)
