BJP Questions Gaurav Gogoi’s Stand After Panel Recommendation

The BJP has challenged Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over his position on the proposed Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI transactions, following a parliamentary panel's recommendation. The controversy has sparked a war of words between the government and Rahul Gandhi, with Gogoi and other Congress leaders responding to the criticism.

The parliamentary committee observed that while UPI is expected to handle up to 150 billion transactions monthly and add 600 million new users, the current government incentive covers only 11 per cent of the industry. Gaurav Gogoi stated that no specific proposal regarding the MDR rate, amount, ceiling, or exemption slabs was ever presented to the Finance Committee. He also noted that concerns about the need and efficacy of MDR were raised during various committee sittings.

Gogoi reiterated that the recent UPI tax policies harm small Indian merchants, vendors, and entrepreneurs while benefiting major American corporations. Rahul Gandhi’s opposition to the MDR has been questioned, especially since other Congress MPs, including former finance minister P Chidambaram and former UPA minister Manish Tewari, supported the panel’s recommendation.