Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Punjab BJP alleges AAP Govt faking 16% GST growth by withholding refunds
Traders under stress as GST refunds worth thousands of crores remain unpaid
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, December 24, 2025: Anil Sarin, State General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab, launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, alleging that Punjab is witnessing “open loot, intimidation, and fear” under the guise of GST administration.
Sarin claimed that Finance Minister Harpal Cheema’s assertion of a 16 percent increase in GST revenue is a deliberate manipulation of figures aimed at misleading the public. According to him, the government projected ₹17,860 crore in collections from April to November while deliberately withholding GST refunds of traders for months.
Many refund files, he said, have remained unattended since May, masking the government’s failures with inflated numbers. BJP State Media Head Vineet Joshi and Co-Treasurer Sukhwinder Singh Goldy were present during the announcement.
The BJP leader alleged that the GST Department has been instructed to conduct multiple inspections—up to four per trader—and recover nearly ₹100 crore every month through targeted audits. Officials, he said, are intimidating traders with penalties, notices, and the involvement of State Intelligence to pressure and choke businesses.
Sarin pointed out that collections through State Intelligence have risen from ₹321 crore to ₹618 crore, which he interpreted as proof that money is being extracted through fear and coercion rather than genuine tax reform.
He further questioned the government’s claims of revenue growth, highlighting that teachers, health workers, National Health Mission employees, urban local body staff, and pensioners are still compelled to protest for salaries and pensions. “This shows Punjab’s treasury is empty, and the government has failed,” he said.
Sarin also warned that the AAP government’s approach is pushing traders toward business closures, potentially leading to black marketing and illegal transactions. “The AAP government will bear full responsibility for economic chaos,” he added.
Concluding his remarks, Anil Sarin called the AAP’s GST figures a product of “fraud, coercion, and deceit” and demanded the immediate release of pending GST refunds to traders.