The Congress today accused the BJP of being anti-farmer and alleged that it stood exposed as the chief economic advisor advocated for taxing agricultural income.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked the party not to "backstab" the country's farmers.
"RBI Gov Urjit Patel & SBI chief oppose farm loan waiver. CEA wants to tax agriculture. Don't backstab India's farmers," Surjewala said in a series of tweets.
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He said first Niti Aayog member Bibek Debroy suggested that the agricultural income should be taxed and now CEA Arvind Subramanian was advocating the same.
Surejewala asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to spell out why the BJP was "surreptitiously hoodwinking" the farmers.
"The anti-farmer face of BJP govt stands exposed! BJP's hidden agenda of taxing farmers unmasked by Chief Economic Adviser," he tweeted.
Subramanian today said states, which have the option to levy the tax, should make a distinction between rich and poor farmers.
A controversy had erupted after Debroy suggested that the agricultural income should be taxed. However, Jaitley later clarified that there was no such proposal and the Centre has no power to impose tax on agricultural income.
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