A resolution praising reforms to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was adopted in the Haryana Assembly on Thursday, with ruling BJP legislators hailing the changes and Opposition Congress MLAs criticising the Centre for burdening citizens with high taxes, with a few terming it as ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’.BJP MLAs Parmod Kumar Vij, Ghanshyam Dass, and Jagmohan Anand, along with independent MLA Savitri Jindal, introduced a non‑official resolution on Thursday recommending that the state government should convey to the central government that the revision of GST tax slabs is commendable and appreciable.Vij asserted that GST‑2 is a decisive strike against inflation, proving that the government does not shy away from taking bold and far‑reaching decisions. Expressing gratitude to the Narendra Modi government for reducing GST, he added that 2025 has become a defining year in the nation’s developmental journey.Participating in the discussion, Congress legislator Jassi Petwar said, “Was this Gabbar Singh Tax justified when it was first introduced in July 2017, or later in 2025, during what was called GST reforms? The public should be properly informed about it.”When a member asked which tax he was referring to as Gabbar Singh Tax, Petwar replied that it was the GST imposed by the BJP government.Speaker Harvinder Singh Kalyan intervened and asked whether the term Gabbar Singh Tax was mentioned in the records. “I am asking this because I am hearing about it for the first time,” remarked the Speaker.The Congress MLA again referred to GST, alleging that for eight continuous years, it had placed a heavy burden on citizens. “Even on curd and paranthas, GST was imposed for the first time during the BJP rule. You even imposed GST on funeral cloths, which is truly shocking,” Petwar said.Story continues below this adAnother Congress MLA, Vikas Saharan, added: “The introduction of GST hit trade and fuelled inflation. That is why it is called Gabbar Singh Tax, because it has forced a burden on the public.”Explaining the impact, Congress MLA Ashok Arora said, “The daughter of poor parents goes to tuition on a scooter, and even on that a tax of 28 per cent was levied. How can they afford to travel in such circumstances? A scooter that earlier cost between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000 shot up to Rs 1.05 lakh after GST. GST has led to severe inflation.”Arora added, “After the introduction of GST, the economic condition of the states has improved. In Haryana’s budget, GST collections are a major contributor as revenue increased with the imposition of multiple taxes. So, the value-added tax on petrol and diesel should be reduced to provide relief to the people. With this resolution as tabled in the Assembly, gratitude may be extended to the central government for reducing GST, but at the same time, it should also include an apology for the burden placed on the public’s pockets over the past eight years.”On the other hand, BJP legislator Jagmohan Anand said, “GST has given new momentum to the economy and boosted trade through the principle of one tax, one nation. A composition scheme has been introduced for small traders. With these amendments, public trust in the government has grown.”Story continues below this adBJP’s Ghanshyam Dass remarked, “A provision was made to display both the old and new rates on items so that the benefit of GST reduction reaches consumers. There was concern that tax collections might fall after the reduction, but in fact, collections have increased. This is the result of the government’s farsighted policies.”