Police on Tuesday foiled traders protest and their march towards Legislative Assembly here in Kashmir capital Srinagar. Scores of traders were detained and lodged into Shaheed Gunj police station.Traders from Kashmir had decided to stage a protest in front of Legislative Assembly to express their anguish against the government proposal to extend 101st amendment with regard to Goods and Service Tax in Jammu and Kashmir. Different trade bodies as well as Civil Society groups have been up in arms against the government and have been urging upon the government to have their own law on GST.Police arrested co-chairperson of Kashmir Economic Alliance Farooq Ahmed Dar along with half dozen leaders.The protesting traders expressed its serious concerns over GST and said, business community and the people would fight tooth and nail to oppose GST implementation in the State.“We are not against any tax regime which is for the betterment of the business community. But J&K state is not like any other state in India. It has as special status guaranteed under article 370 under which this law can’t be implemented here,” Dar said. Meanwhile, Kashmir Manufacturers and Traders Federation Chairman Muhamamd Yasin Khan was arrested in Srinagar on Tuesday to prevent him from leading an anti-GST protest, said a spokesman. He said police arrested Khan from his residence before Fajr prayers and shifted him to an undisclosed location.
“Our protest against the implementation of GST in the state will be held as per programme,” said the spokesman. Traders, civil society and opposition parties have opposed the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in its present form in the state. They fear that the new tax regimen will erode the financial autonomy and the special status of the state, guaranteed under Article 370.The members of the Jammu & Kashmir Co-ordination Committee (JKCC ) had announced a peaceful programme to protest against the GST implementation in Jammu & Kashmir for it is most definitely going to compromise the fiscal autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir to thwart this programme the leaders of JKCC leaders were arrested or put under house arrest in the wee hours of the morning. Yaseen Khan was arrested from his residence and Dr.Mubeen Shah and Shakeel Qalander were confined to their houses. This did not deter the members of JKCC and they proceeded with the programme of peaceful protest near the legislative assembly. Hundreds of traders, industrialists and civil society activists were detained and lodged in various police stations.“The JKCC protests against this unlawful , frustrated and cowardly act of the Government.This brutal action has strengthened our resolve to fight against the deceit inflicted upon the naive and hapless citizens of Jammu & Kasmir through which the powers that be are trying tooth and nail to erode whatever is left of the autonomy. The JKCC hereby puts the Government on notice.”