INDIA bloc protests against GST on health, life insurance premiums

INDIA bloc parties staged a protest in Parliament premises on Tuesday, 6 August to press for the rollback of 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on life and health insurance premiums.

MPs from various parties such as TMC, Congress, AAP and NCP (SC), among others, participated in the protest on the steps leading to the Makar Dwar of Parliament.

Carrying placards reading "tax terrorism", the protesting MPs raised slogans demanding that the GST on life and health insurance premiums be rolled back.

Later, in a post in Hindi on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Today in the Parliament premises, INDIA parties demanded immediate removal of 18% GST on health and life insurance premiums as this extortion is a severe blow to our people, especially the middle class."

"The middle class is already struggling under the burden of the Modi government's tax collection policies. India's medical inflation rate is the highest in Asia in 2024 - at 14%! On top of that, this 'Gabbar Singh Tax' on life insurance and health insurance is inhuman, and another condemnable example of BJP's policy of plundering from 'opportunity in disaster'," Kharge said.

In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "The Modi government even collected Rs 24,000 crore from millions of common Indians who pay health insurance premiums every year by saving every penny to ensure that they do not have to bow down to anyone in case of a 'health crisis' in life."

"Looking for a 'tax opportunity' in every disaster is proof of the insensitive thinking of the BJP government. INDIA Alliance opposes this opportunistic thinking. Health and life insurance must be made GST-free," Gandhi said.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the INDIA bloc parties' protest against the imposition of 18 per cent GST on life and medical insurance premiums is absolutely justified.

"India is already the country whose citizens pay the highest out-of-pocket expenses for health crises in the world. Senior citizens who have taken health insurance are now paying the highest GST rates in the world. How does the government intend to attain the goal of 'insurance for all by 2047', when it is instead ensuring the unaffordability of insurance to most?" Tharoor said on X.

Trinamool Congress MPs have raised the issue in Parliament and party president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the matter.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari also wrote to Sitharaman and urged her to consider withdrawing the GST which, he said, amounted to taxing uncertainties of life and restricting the industry's growth.