Congress slams govt over '18 per cent GST' on Gangajal; CBIC says no such tax

The Congress on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of imposing an 18 per cent GST on the water of the holy Ganga river and termed it the height of “loot and hypocrisy”. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, however, dismissed the Congress claim and said no such tax has been imposed on Gangajal, used in puja and other ceremonies.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertaking a daylong visit to Uttarakhand on Thursday, the Congress also asked when will he visit the violence-hit Manipur.

“Modi ji, the importance of Mother Ganga, the provider of salvation, is very high for a common Indian from birth till the end of their life. It is good that you are in Uttarakhand today, but your government has imposed 18 per cent GST on the holy Ganga water itself,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.