Narendra Modi is indeed a problem for the Congress Party. It is precisely for this reason that the Congress/UPA has used every method, fair or foul to counter him. They are still at sea how to deal with him.
The media campaign engineered against him did not cut much ice. The SIT constituted by the Supreme Court gave a favourable report. The Judge, dealing with the case, accepted the SIT report. Despite bending backwards the CBI could not find a shred of evidence against him. The Congress Party’s hopes that Narendra Modi would be isolated politically have been dashed. Besides political allies, his popularity amongst the people has reached an unprecedented level.
The UPA government has now invented a new curious method, which it hopes can tackle him. Absurd that it may sound, they now propose to tax Modi’s rallies. Considering the mammoth crowds who gather to listen to Narendra Modi all over the country, this can be Finance Minister’s faint hope of augmenting his otherwise depleting revenue.
On February 12, the Directorate General of Central Excise and Intelligence has issued a letter to the BJP and its Chandigarh office. The notice mentions “as the entry tickets to the event were not for any admission to any entertainment event or access to amusement facilities (which are in the negative list) the same is taxable in the hands of the person collecting the amount of tickets. It appears that the BJP/Shri Narendra Modi has (sic.) neither got registered under the Service Tax nor paid tax on collection from tickets”. The notice, therefore, desires that the details of the alleged entry tickets to Modi’s rallies should be furnished immediately for calculation of service tax payable by Shri Narendra Modi or the BJP. The Chandigarh unit of the BJP has not organized any rally of Narendra Modi as yet.
Obviously, there are no tickets for Narendra Modi’s rallies. Either at the rallies or elsewhere in the country, the BJP has launched a massive fund collection campaign. Our effort is to reach 10 crores households for fund collection. The Directorate General of Central Excise and Intelligence appears to be believing that the BJP/Narendra Modi renders service to those who come to attend Narendra Modi’s rallies. They believe that Mr. Modi’s rally is neither ‘entertainment event nor access to amusement facilities’ hence they are liable to levy of service tax. A legitimate question arises if such notice for collecting funds is only being issued to the BJP or to other political parties, particularly the Congress Party. There is no doubt that the UPA government has taken leave of all its senses. I hope the people realize the extent of desperation to the extent the Congress has stooped to. If this is how the principal opposition party or its Prime Ministerial candidate can be harassed, the extent of plight of common taxpayers in the country can be easily understood.