Facing criticism from various quarters that ticket prices for the upcoming India-Sri Lanka ODI to be held here are exorbitant, Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman has courted a huge controversy by saying that those who cannot afford it doesn’t have to go and watch. wrestle.
The minister controversially said this on Sunday when reporters asked him if the government would consider withdrawing the alleged decision to increase the entertainment tax to be collected from spectators.
“What is the need to reduce the tax? The requirement is that the country is witnessing the phenomenon of rising prices, so the tax should be reduced. Those who are hungry need not go to watch the match,” said the minister.
The opposition Congress and BJP hit out at the minister for his controversial remarks on the poor, saying a public servant should not have made such a statement.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly VD Satheesan on Monday slammed the minister, saying people were “shocked” to hear such a “crass and absurd statement” from a minister in the state’s democratically elected communist government.
“The chief minister should not allow a minister to sit on that chair even for an hour. What does the CPI(M) say about this, which claims to be a pro-poor party?” Satheesan asked.
BJP state president K Surendran has urged the government to withdraw the “steep increase” in the entertainment tax levied for the India-Sri Lanka ODI match.
According to him, the minister’s statement that only those with money should watch the game is an “insult” to sports lovers.
“The sudden increase in entertainment tax from five to 12 per cent is beyond the reach of cricket fans in the state. Cricket lovers are forced to pay 30 per cent tax including GST to watch the match,” Surendran said.
However, the government dismissed reports that people were being charged excessive taxes for watching the match.
Minister of State for Local Government MB Rajesh said in a statement that the entertainment tax has actually been reduced from a higher rate to 12 percent.
He said the tax rate was fixed after discussions with Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), which are the organisers.
In this connection, KCA has started ticket sales for the match to be held here on January 15.
(Disclaimer: This story is automatically generated from a syndicated feed; only the image and headline may have been reworked www.republicworld.com)
