Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress party of spreading lies about Goods and Services Tax (GST). Addressing a rally in Gandhinagar in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the Congress party was an equal partner in the decision on the tax reform.
 
Modi said in Gujarati that all "political parties, including the Congress, took the decision to bring in GST. You are all partners in this decision".
 
"The central government is only a 30th part in the entire GST Council," the Prime Minister said, indicating that the responsibility for the problems because of the new tax regime could not be rest solely on his office.
 
Reaching out to the trader community, PM Modi pointed how the Centre had reviewed the GST and making attempts to fix the gaps.
 
"I had said it is a new tax regime and I will review it after three months. And we not only reviewed it, but are trying to resolve all ticklish issues and all gaps relating to it.
 
"I assure our huge trading community that the government is committed to ensure they have no problems because of the new reformist tax regime," Modi said.
 
The Prime Minister claimed that thousands of new traders were coming up to join the GST regime but seeking simplicity in its implementation. "I have given my word to the traders that I will not allow them to suffer.
 
"Nobody is against GST, they all want that there should be no hurdles in its implementation. We are seized of it and am continuously making suggestions to address all concerns."
 
The Prime Minister also dared the Congress to contest the Gujarat Assembly elections on development plank. Attacking Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, Modi said that the Nehru-Gandhi family dislikes Gujarat and Gujaratis.
 
He said that the opposition party was concerned with only “preserving its dynasty”. "Communalism, casteism, dynastic rule, misleading the people -- these are the instruments which Congress uses to win elections. They don’t have it in them to win on the issue of development.
 
"I challenge them to fight on the issue of development and stop misleading people," he added.
 
Modi accused the Congress of treating Gujarati leaders "unfairly" and named Sardar Patel and former Prime Minister Morarji Desai among the party`s victims.
 
This came even as the Congress party accused the Election Commission of deliberately delaying the announcement of Gujarat Assembly elections to favour the BJP.
 
"The EC has intentionally delayed announcement of date(s) for Gujarat elections just to favour Modi, to enable him to make tall, hollow promises to the people of Gujarat," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken told reporters on Monday.
 
On October 12, the Election Commission had announced that Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections would be held on November 9 and the results declared on December 18. However, the poll body had not announced the dates for Gujarat polls.
 
The term of the 68-member Himachal assembly ends on January 7, 2018, and of the 182-member Gujarat assembly on January 22, 2018.


(With agency inputs)