The activists, led by patron of VOTV, put forward their demand in a series of tweets, addressed to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
"We are sure that the PM and FM will tax all tobacco products including bidi at the highest category in GST.Bidis are consumed by 9.2% of adult population & cigarettes by 5.7% as per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey," saidDr Pawan Singhal, VOTV and Cancer surgeon, SMS hospital in Jaipur.
It is known that bidis account for a very high percentage of tobacco-related deaths and a product leading to 6 lacs deaths cannot be taxed at lower rates, he added.