New Delhi : The main opposition party, Congress, has launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, alleging that charges are now being imposed on every UPI transaction exceeding ₹2,000.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the government has quietly paved the way for imposing fees on UPI and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surrendered to the US, just as he did regarding the trade deal.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also voiced his opposition, stating that while the government had previously claimed there were no charges on UPI, it has now shifted stance to impose fees on transactions above ₹2,000.

Instead of providing relief to the public burdened by inflation, the Modi government is finding new ways to pick their pockets every day.

Congress made this claim regarding the imposition of taxes on transactions exceeding ₹2,000 based on the government’s latest notification concerning UPI transactions.

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi stated, “MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) could now be levied on UPI transactions for purchases exceeding ₹2,000. Although these transactions account for only five percent of the total volume, they represent approximately 65 percent of the total value of UPI transactions.”

“The government claims that no fee will be charged to the customer. But where will the fee levied on the shopkeeper ultimately come from? It will be added to prices and come out of the customer’s pocket.”

“American payment companies have long opposed India’s zero-MDR policy. Now, the Modi government has paved the way to alter the policy in that very direction. Just like with the US trade deal, a compromised PM Modi is once again surrendering to American pressure.”

Mallikarjun Kharge remarked that the common man’s pockets are already empty due to skyrocketing inflation. Wholesale inflation is hovering near 10 percent, and the BJP government has devised a plan to wipe out whatever meager savings the public has left by imposing a ‘digital payment tax.’

Consider the Modi government’s major about-face: ten years ago, the country’s economy was dealt a blow through demonetization. When questions were raised about the disastrous consequences of that move, the government argued that it had been implemented to promote digital payments and a cashless economy.

The Finance Minister recently stated in Parliament that no taxes or charges would be levied on UPI transactions; however, emerging reports suggest that charges of up to ₹25 on transactions of ₹5,000 and ₹50 on transactions of ₹10,000 are likely to be imposed.

Demanding that the government reveal the truth, Kharge asked whether it failed to realize that the additional burden placed on traders would ultimately be recovered from the pockets of ordinary consumers through higher prices.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)