AAP leads jewellers’ protest over Budget 2016-17 duty proposal

AAP on Monday took out a protest march in Old Delhi against the one per cent excise duty on jewellery proposed in the Union Budget 2016-17 and demanded its roll-back. The protest, organised by AAP traders’ wing, was joined by party leader Ashutosh. “Jewellers are angry over the excise duty. When Narendra Modi was chief minister (of Gujarat), he had opposed it. So, why has he imposed the excise now,” said Ashutosh.

The move will “hurt” small traders and their business will “suffer” in the face of competition from bigger businessmen and multinational companies, he claimed. “The government is hell bent on destroying the small traders with numerous small taxes,” the party alleged.

The members of several jewellery associations participated in the protest march from Town Hall Chowk in Chandni Chowk to the Red Fort. Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal, too, had attacked the Centre over its proposed hike in the excise duty. “Modi government has back stabbed jewellers. Modi government is doing what UPA was doing,” Kejriwal had said in a tweet.