Hyderabad: The BJP today launched a nationwide campaign called the ‘GST Savings Festival’ to showcase the benefits of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms. The week-long drive will run until September 29 in markets across the country.
BJP kicks off GST Savings Festival with padyatras and Swadeshi push
Party MPs and workers will visit markets daily to explain the revised GST rates and create a festive atmosphere. The outreach coincides with the rollout of GST 2.0, a major reform that introduces two tax slabs and lowers rates on more than 375 items, including essentials and daily-use goods.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “GST Utsav” in his Sunday address. “From today, people can buy their favourite items more easily. This is like a GST saving festival for every Indian,” he said.
As part of the campaign, BJP leaders will hold morning and evening padyatras in one market each day. They will meet shopkeepers, offer flowers, and extend festive greetings for Navratri. In addition, leaders will distribute placards with slogans such as “Say it with pride, this is Swadeshi” and “Say it with pride, this is Made in India.” Shopkeepers will therefore display them prominently.
The drive also links with a parallel ‘Swadeshi Campaign’. Marchers will carry banners promoting Indian-made goods. Moreover, party workers will circulate placards in local languages with a uniform national design. The BJP leadership has also asked MPs to submit detailed reports of their outreach efforts to state and central offices.
The new GST rates, which took effect today, make food, snacks, medicines, and household items cheaper. As a result, officials said, the reforms simplify compliance and deliver savings to the poor, middle class, MSMEs, women, and youth.
