KTMF call for shutdown on June 17

Saying that the ‘one tax, one India’ is unacceptable to the people of Kashmir, both the factions of Kashmir Traders Manufacturing Federation (KTMF) Thursday called for a complete shutdown on June 17against the government’s ‘imminent decision’ of implementing Goods and Service Tax (GST) in the state.

Both the factions today addressed media at their respective offices and called for a shutdown while one among the factions claimed the support of Chenab Valley, saying the people there will also observe the shutdown on this day.

The KTMF headed by Muhammad Yasin Khan also called for a sit-in at the commercial Hub Lal Chowk on June 17 to oppose the GST implementation.

“One tax, one India theory of the government is unacceptable to us. We won’t allow the government to implement the Indian law in the state at any cost as the state is a disputed territory and is enjoying its own constitution and powers.”

He said that the GST implementation would infringe the special status of JK, which is not acceptable to the people of Kashmir who sacrificed their lives and properties so far for safeguarding the special status of state. “We will prefer to die rather than allowing the government to implement the Indian law in the state,” he said.

KTMF president said that the GST implementation is bound to affect the business community. “Besides infringing the special statutes of JK, the GST implementation would also affect the business community here and would surely deteriorate the situation in the state,” he said

He said that in a meeting held with the government recently “we suggested them to implement the state’s own GST law and which will be acceptable to us.”

Khan said that some ‘black sheep’s’ in the current regime are trying every bid to implement the GST in the state.

Khan said that it has now been decided to observe complete shutdown on June 17 (Saturday) to protest against the government’s imminent decision of implementing the GST in the state.

“We will also hold sit-in in the afternoon on June 17,” he said, adding that the Chenab Valley will also observe shutdown in this regard.   

Pertinently, the state government has convened a special session of assembly on June 17 to pave way for the implementation of the GST.

Meanwhile, another faction of KTMF headed by Bashir Ahmad Rather also called for ‘Kashmir Bandh’ on Saturday.

Rather, chairman of another KTMF faction that everyone should observe a complete shutdown on Saturday to protest implementation of GST “which is bound to infringe the state’s special status.”

“We had already boycotted the meeting with Chief Minister and Finance Minister as our stand is clear that we won’t allow any compromise with the state’s special status,” he said while addressing a press conference here at Hazuri Bagh office.

“Kashmir is an internationally-known disputed territory and bringing it under ‘one country, one tax’ regime is akin to fudging with its special status and that’s unacceptable to us,” he said.

 

 

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