Mumbai, Sep 4 : Shiv Sena leader and spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest overhaul of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying the reforms under GST 2.0 have significantly simplified the tax system.

Speaking to IANS, Nirupam said: "When GST was implemented in 2017, it was a new system, and flaws were bound to emerge in the beginning. Now, after eight years, the PM Modi government has taken a major step by limiting GST to just two slabs'5 per cent and 18 per cent'which simplifies the entire structure and brings much-needed relief to traders, the middle class, and small businesses."

Taking a swipe at the Congress, Nirupam noted that the same party which once demanded GST reform is now opposing it.

'This is a big step in the interest of the public,' he said.

Responding to the Congress claim that Rahul Gandhi should be credited for the rationalisation of GST rates, Nirupam said: "Democracy is about listening to all voices. If Rahul Gandhi or any Opposition leader raised concerns on behalf of traders, that's their role. But it's the government that adopted a positive approach and brought the changes. This isn't the victory of one person - it's the victory of democracy."

He emphasised that democracy functions best when both the ruling party and the opposition work together for the social good.

"True democracy means responding to the voice of the people and working in unity on matters of national interest," he added.

Nirupam also reacted to the escalating Maratha reservation issue in Maharashtra. With OBC leaders threatening statewide protests and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal planning to move court over the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas, he called for balance and understanding.

"The Maratha community deserves reservation. Activist Manoj Jarange came to Mumbai with representatives of his community and staged a fast unto death. The government accepted six out of his eight demands. The key demand was to implement the Nizam-era Hyderabad gazetteer, which classifies Marathas under the OBC category," he added.

He added that the government has issued OBC certificates to over 8 lakh Maratha youths and ensured that existing OBC quotas are not compromised.

"It's about giving Maratha youth a chance to succeed through education, while also respecting the rights of the OBC community," Nirupam said.

On the five-hour bandh observed in Bihar in protest against the alleged abuse of Prime Minister Modi's mother by Congress workers during the election campaign, Nirupam remarked: "The Bihar election outcome is almost sealed, but the Congress still hasn't grasped the reality. Tejashwi Yadav understood the situation, but Rahul Gandhi ruined a campaign that was otherwise going well for the RJD. The abusive language directed at PM Modi's mother deeply offended the women of Bihar. That incident triggered the bandh, and it has culturally and emotionally backfired on Congress and the RJD."

"Bihar is a state of cultured and respectful people. Such language will never be tolerated. This mistake has shifted the tide clearly in favour of the NDA."

/IANS