CHANDIGARH: Anil Sarin, State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab, launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that an atmosphere of open loot, intimidation, and fear has been established in Punjab in the name of GST. He said that the claim made by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema of a 16 percent increase in GST revenue is nothing but manipulation of figures and a deception of the public.
Sarin stated that by projecting a collection of ₹17, 860 crore from April to November, the AAP government is trying to mislead the people of Punjab. The reality, he said, is that GST refunds of traders have been deliberately withheld for months. Files have been lying unattended since May, while the government is masking its failure by showing inflated and false revenue figures. On this occasion, BJP State Media Head Vineet Joshi and Co-Treasurer Sukhwinder Singh Goldy were also present.
He alleged that the GST Department has been instructed to conduct multiple inspections—up to four per trader—and to carry out targeted recoveries of nearly ₹100 crore every month. Officials are allegedly intimidating traders in the name of penalties, issuing a barrage of notices, and using State Intelligence to pressurize and choke businesses.
Sarin further said that the government itself has admitted that collections through State Intelligence have increased from ₹321 crore to ₹618 crore. This clearly proves that money is being extracted through fear, coercion, and intimidation, which cannot be termed tax reform under any circumstances.
The BJP leader raised a direct question: if revenue is genuinely increasing, why are teachers, health workers, National Health Mission employees, urban local body staff, and pensioners being forced to take to the streets for their salaries and pensions? This, he said, proves that Punjab’s treasury is empty and the government has completely failed.