Jewellers in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh kept their shops shuttered and sat on a dharna on Thursday in protest against the imposition of excise duty on jewellery.
Jewellers Association General Secretary Ravi Verma said the imposition of excise duty of one percent on jewellery -- a measure announced in Budget 2016-17 by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley -- would adversely affect the market.
Such an imposition would be a blow to the jewellers already facing recession, he said.
"The government has not only imposed unwanted excise duty, but also made PAN (permanent account number) mandatory on purchase of jewellery worth Rs.two lakh or more," Verma said.
He said the jewellery market would also remain closed on Friday and a delegation of the association would take part in a larger dharna in Delhi called by the body representing jewellers across India.
