GST Era: PM & President formally launch Goods & Services Tax in Parliament

New Delhi: Amid the celebration, protest and apprehension, India rolled-out GST (Goods and Services Tax) at the stroke of midnight. Before the launch of GST from Parliament at 12 am Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that it will open fate for the country. Here are LATEST UPDATES on GST:

• PM & President formally launched Goods & Services Tax in Parliament
• GST rolled-out
• This historic moment is the culmination of 14 year long journey which began in December, 2002: President Pranab Mukherjee
• GST is 'Good & Simple Tax': PM Modi
• GST has potential to end harassment at hands of officers; hope traders will transfer its benefits to consumers: Prime Minister
• GST is economic integration of India just like what Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had done decades back to integrate the country: Modi
• GST an example of cooperative federalism: Prime Minister
• Our dream of 'one nation one tax' has turned into reality: Modi
• From hard work, we can achieve anything: PM Narendra Modi
• I congratulate GST Council for its work: Modi
• We all are about to decide future course of country: PM Narendra Modi
• The old India was economically fragmented, the new India will create one tax, one market and for one nation: FM Arun Jaitley
• Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh skips GST launch event owing to Congress' boycott of the ceremony
• GST is an important achievement for the whole country: FM Arun Jaitley
• The journey of GST started more than 15 years ago: Arun Jaitley
• It (GST) is a journey in which India will awake: Arun Jaitley

#GST: President Pranab Mukherjee reaches Central Hall of Parliament #1देशएकटैक्स https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/ZKue6ydhNJ

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) June 30, 2017

• President Pranab Mukherjee reaches Central Hall of Parliament
• Delhi: PM Narendra Modi arrives at Parliament to attend GST launch

Delhi: GST Bhavan lights up ahead of #GSTrollout pic.twitter.com/pZjOOPeCHC

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 30, 2017

#GST: L. K. Advani arrives Central Hall of Parliament https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/fneN3PyFY2 — ABP News (@abpnewstv) June 30, 2017

Delhi: Ratan Tata reaches Parliament to attend #GST launch. #gstrollout pic.twitter.com/IMTGzpwgX6 — ANI (@ANI_news) June 30, 2017

• GST Council approves additional set of rules; reduces tax rate on fertiliser from 12% to 5%: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

#GST Council cuts tax rate on exclusive parts of tractors from 28 pc to 18 pc. — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 30, 2017

I think India will grow faster, better, economy will be benefited, all the states will be benefited: Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra CM #GST pic.twitter.com/2egIhV2WKx — ANI (@ANI_news) June 30, 2017

• GST to open fate for India: PM Narendra Modi
• GST to be launched at 12 am, at the stroke of midnight from Parliament

  However, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi doesn't think so. He dubbed the implementation of GST as a "tamasha", and said that the reform was being rushed through in a "half-baked" manner as a "self-promotional spectacle". Gandhi, currently abroad on a holiday, hit out at the government, accusing it of being "insensitive" for rolling out GST without planning, foresight and institutional readiness, as it did during demonetisation. "A reform that holds great potential is being rushed through in a half-baked way with a self-promotional spectacle #GSTTamasha," he said on Twitter. "But like demonetisation, GST is being executed by an incompetent and insensitive government without planning, foresight and institutional readiness," Gandhi also tweeted. The Congress leader said India deserves a GST rollout that does not put crores of its ordinary citizens, small businesses and traders through tremendous pain and anxiety. He claimed that unlike demonetisation, GST was a reform that the Congress had championed and backed from the very beginning. Gandhi's tweets come a day after the Congress announced its boycott of the midnight GST launch event by the government at the Central Hall of Parliament tonight. The Congress boycotted the event on grounds that a taxation reform could not be equated to midnight celebrations of Indian Independence the Central Hall has seen on August 15, 1947, and later on 25 years of freedom in 1972. It was followed by the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence in 1997. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also criticised the GST and said it will bring back the dreaded "Inspector Raj, lead to harassment of small traders, businesses". 'Inspector Raj' is back, says Mamata on GST (With inputs from agencies)