‘VAT department AAP’s tool for party fund’

The Delhi BJP has alleged that the Kejriwal government has made the VAT department its tool to raise electoral funds for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay on Monday addressed traders along with CAIT secretary-general Praveen Khandelwal, who said the city traders will on Tuesday decide on launching an agitation against the DS-1 Form and item code provisions.

Mr Khandelwal claimed the city government by introducing Bill Lao Inaam Pao scheme has put the traders in the dock as if the traders are evading tax by not issuing bills. Similarly, he criticised the AAP government’s promise of paying the traders a part of the increased tax collection through the traders’ wing.

“Now the draconian DS-1 Form and the item code have been introduced by the Delhi government and both will ultimately destroy trade in Delhi. While the provisions of Form DS-1 will destroy the interstate trade, the item code provisions will badly affect the small traders like the general merchants in the local colonies,” said Mr Khandelwal.

Mr Upadhyay and Mr Khandelwal also alleged that since the Kejriwal government came to power, the traders have not got refunds from the VAT department.

Mr Upadhyay said that since the Kejriwal government has came to power in Delhi it has used VAT department to first harass the traders through announcements of unacceptable taxation provisions and withdrew these announcements after collecting major donations for the ruling party from the concerned traders’ associations.