Youth Congress joins protest against excise duty on gold jewellery
Sunday, 27/03/2016
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JALANDH AR: Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) held a protest against the NDA government on Saturday for imposing 1% excise duty on gold jewellery. PYC supported the agitating members of the local association of goldsmiths, who are on strike for the last 25 days.
PYC president Amarpreet Singh Lalli, Congress urban president Rajinder Beri, Congress rural chief Jagbir SinghBrar,p resident of Jalandhar Youth Congress Ashwin Bhalla and others chanted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley.
They accused the BJP-led government of ruining the business of goldsmiths by levying duty on jewelry. They also burnt an effigy of the Modi government at Company Bagh Chowk.
PYC leaders sympathised with the protesting goldsmiths and threatened to hold similar protests against the central government if it failed to roll back the excise duty on gold jewellery.
JEWELLERS STAGE PROTEST AT HALL GATE IN AMRITSAR
AMRITSAR: Backed by Congress leaders, jewellers on Saturday staged a protest at the hall gate against the proposal of the Union government to impose 1% excise duty on jewellery items.
Shouting slogans against the Modi government, they burnt an effigy of Union finance minister Arun Jaitley. Various jewellers associations participated in the stir, including the Amritsar Sarafa Association, Bullion Ornament Civil Line and District Swarankar Sangh. Congress leaders extended their support to the agitators included MLA Raj Kumar Verka.
It is notable that jewellers have been on a strike since March 2 protesting against the proposed excise duty imposition on non-silver jewellery items made in the Budget 2016-17 as well mandatory quoting of PAN card by customers for transaction of ` 2 lakh and above. They have shut their outlets for more than two weeks.
During the protest, leaders of the jewellers associations reiterated that the proposal will push them into dee p financial mess and the government needed to review its decision.
Similar demonstrations were also undertaken by jewellers of Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Batala.
