The Congress on Monday lashed out at the BJP-PDP Government in Jammu & Kashmir over levy of service tax for pilgrims availing chopper services to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. The party said it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s version of “Jizya tax”. The party also accused the Central Government for doing politics in disbursement of the actual amount of flood relief package for Jammu & Kashmir as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
“Jizya tax was imposed on Hindus during the reigns of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. Is this Mr Modi’s definition of Jizya tax on pilgrims to Vaishno DeviIJ Is it BJP-PDP’s version of Jizya tax to pilgrims of Vaishno DeviIJ” AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
Condemning levy of service tax, the party demanded immediate withdrawal of such tax. The PDP-BJP Government in Jammu & Kashmir has levied 12.5 per cent service tax on Vaishno Devi pilgrims travelling from Katra to the shrine cave by chopper.
Pilgrims using helicopter services will have to shell out Rs2,340 in place of Rs2,078 for the two-way journey. Singhvi accused the Government of “trying to control” the pilgrimage and said, “You have hurt the faith of people.”
Senior Congress leader also accused Modi of doing the “politics, accounting jugglery, deceit and brazenly befooling” people with a “fraud” as he slammed him for announcing a package of Rs44,000 crore for rehabilitation of those affected by last year’s flood.
“On one hand, people of Jammu & Kashmir have to suffer due to the callous indifference of Modi Government towards the relief and rehabilitation. On the other hand, the PDP-BJP Government, in a bizarre move, has decided to impose 12.5 per cent service tax on pilgrims making the air-trip to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine costly by issuing a notification to this effect on September 2,” Singhvi added.
On the package to flood affected Jammu & Kashmir, Singhvi rued the fact that it was later brought down to Rs1667 crore out of which Rs838 crore was “deleted” to clear past liabilities of Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme leaving out a sum of Rs829 crore only, “which has also not been fully released”.
“Today is the first anniversary of ‘Jammu & Kashmir floods’. Shattered hopes, broken dreams and weary people of Jammu & Kashmir await the much promised comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package of Rs44,000 crore by the Prime Minister in the run up to the state polls for fulfilment of Mission 44 there. Hollowness of Prime Minister Modi’s promises and abject failure of PDP-BJP Government to provide any help have led to call of a Kashmir valley bandh’ by Kashmir Economic Alliance, a coalition of non-political trade bodies. There is a non-terrorist shut down in the valley due to the fraud perpetuated by the NDA and BJP Government,” Congress spokesperson added.