Reiterating its demand for total exemption of income tax for those earning less than Rs 8 lakh per year, the ruling Shiv Sena said on Monday that it would raise the issue in the Budget Session of Parliament slated to begin on January 31.
Talking to mediapersons after the party MPs’ meeting with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “We want the Government to raise the income tax exemption limit to Rs 8 lakh per year. A majority of people in the country will like this. We will raise this issue in the Budget Session of Parliament. We want both the Houses of Parliament to adopt resolution in this regard.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on January 13 had ridiculed the Centre’s decision to keep the annual income limit of Rs 8 lakh for reservations for economically weaker sections (EWS) under the general category and wondered if the Modi Government would simultaneously raise the basic income tax exemption limit to the same level.
Alluding to the new Rs 8 lakh as the annual income limit for reservations for economically weaker sections under the general category, Uddhav had said, “On one hand you consider all those whose annual income is below Rs 8 lakh as economically backward class. On the other hand, you keep Rs 2.5 lakh as the basic income tax exemption limit. I would like to know if the Modi government will do away income tax for all those earning less than Rs 8 lakh a year. If Modi does this, we will not hesitate in accepting that Modi has a chest of not just 56 inches but he has chest of 256 inches”.