Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Keisham Meghachandra Singh has launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of practicing “double standards” in the name of Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms.

In a post on social media platform ‘X’, Meghachandra recalled that the sudden introduction of the “One Nation, One GST” policy in 2016 and its rushed implementation on July 1, 2017, had brought severe hardships across the country, including Manipur. Instead of simplifying taxation, the GST regime created “confusion, harassment, and unbearable financial burdens” for the public, he said.

According to him, small traders, transporters, farmers, entrepreneurs, and self-employed workers were among the worst affected. In Manipur, traditional handloom and handicraft artisans bore the brunt as GST was imposed on both raw materials and finished products. Local weavers, small traders at Ima Keithel, and farmers suffered significant financial losses, while rising prices of essential goods further burdened ordinary households.

Meghachandra further alleged that the BJP is now trying to divert public attention from the “damage caused by GST” by announcing what it calls a “GST bonanza.” He described the move as “a desperate political gimmick” that offers neither real relief to the people nor solutions to the long-term impact on India’s federal structure and Manipur’s economy.