Manmohan Singh to visit Gujarat, target GST, note ban

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will carry out a one-day campaign in Gujarat in what appears to be a considered Congress bid to deepen the message of discontent on GST and demonetisation and to keep the focus on the economy in the upcoming assembly polls. Singh will address a press conference on Tuesday at the Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad. He is likely to speak on the "ill-effects of a flawed GST" and "ill-advised demonetisation". He had earlier attacked the Centre on the two issues on which he is widely accepted as an authority. This will come a day before Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visits Surat to observe a 'black day' on the anniversary of demonetisation on November 8. Congress and the rest of the opposition have decided to observe November 8 as 'black day' to argue that demonetisation had killed jobs and hurt businesses without resulting in any tangible gain for the economy. Congress has also decided to club "flawed GST" with its November 8 campaign. GST is said to have created unrest among Gujarat traders. Significantly, Rahul will be in Surat on Wednesday after having addressed a rally in the textile town on November 3 — the quick repeat visit evidence of how much Congress is banking on the "ill-effects of GST". In Parliament, Singh had come down heavily on demonetisation, calling it "organised loot and legalised plunder". In a meeting called by Rahul on Monday, Singh had told party general secretaries and finance ministers of Congress-ruled states that GST implemented by the Modi government was seriously flawed and not the tax regime that the UPA had finalised. Congress's decision to harp on economic and development issues is widely seen as its bid to limit the campaign to "non-emotive, non-polarising" subjects. Source: Times of India