The Opposition is bracing for a major showdown with the Mehbooba Mufti-led government over the Goods and Service Tax (GST) even as the Hurriyat hawk, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has opened a window of relief for the government by seeking to delink the separatist struggle from the new taxation regime.
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly is holding a special session from Tuesday to discuss the GST and evolve a consensus before rolling out the new tax regime in the restive state. J&K is the only state in the country which did not out the GST on July 1.
The main Opposition National Conference's (NC's) core group held an extraordinary meeting under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah on Monday to discuss various political issues, especially the extension of the GST to the state. "The core group strongly condemned the state government's complicity in a plan to erode the state's Special Status and Article 370 through the extension of the GST in its present form," said an NC spokesman after the meeting.
The NC's meeting comes against the backdrop of Geelani's surprise remarks urging traders to de-link the GST with the Kashmir struggle in order to avoid a "change of narrative".
"The business community and civil societies have their role to find a solution regarding implementation of the GST and sort out the problems," Geelani said.
The statement evoked a sharp response from NC which accused Hurriyat hawk of batting for PDP led government in the state.
"Sadly, as has become his habit, Geelani has yet again presented himself to be used as an evasive, last-resort measure by a cornered and deeply unpopular PDP-BJP government... The duality between Geelani's rhetoric and reality, between asking the people to sacrifice while personally nurturing a quid-pro-quo relationship with the ruling dispensation - especially the PDP – is an insult to the honest and forthright people of the State," said Ali Muhammad Sagar, general secfetary of the NC.
Jammu and Kashmir Information Minister Zulfkar Ali said GST will be implemented in the state only after taking due care of J&K's special status and other concerns.
"J&K has a special status in Union of India which is distinct from other states. As such the state has its own sensitivities and aspirations, which is also reflected in the GST related opportunities and challenges. GST will be implemented in the state only after taking due care of J&K's special status and other concerns," he said.
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