NEW DELHI: A day after the BJP released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday slammed the saffron party for not offering any relief to the traders. Speaking to the media, AAP's New Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Brijesh Goyal said the Bharatiya Janata Party, which "harassed the traders of Delhi through sealing has also not mentioned any relief from the sealing". Goyal, who is also the convenor of the AAP's trade and industry wing in Delhi, said that traders across the country and particularly in the national capital have suffered a lot in the last five years because of the BJP and its policies.
"The traders of Delhi are very unhappy with BJP and its manifesto. The traders will appeal to the people that they should not vote for the BJP.
Through demonetisation, GST and sealing the BJP has destroyed trade in Delhi. In their manifesto, there was no mention how the traders will get any relief," he added.
The AAP leader said, "During the last five years of Modi government if there is one section of the society that has been completely ruined, it is the traders. Demonetisation led to the closure of thousands of factories in Delhi and the destruction of the MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) sector."
Brajesh Goyal said the closure of factories and MSME establishments left lakhs of workers unemployed in Delhi. "When cash flow was obstructed for months together, a cash-dominated economy like that of India was paralysed due to demonetization, which led to mayhem among traders and workers," the AAP leader said. While the traders were still reeling under the adverse impacts of demonetization, the Modi government dealt the next blow with the hasty implementation of GST without any proper preparation. "Even a year and a half after the GST implementation, some of its aspects whether it be revised returns, tax rates or SSL forms, E-way bills - these are such issues which are tormenting and bothering traders even today," Goyal said. The national capital will go to the polls on May 12.