Now Reading: Rahul Gandhi demands UPI charge rollback, attacks Modi on Trump
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Rahul Gandhi demands UPI charge rollback, attacks Modi on Trump
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday demanded an immediate rollback of the government's decision to levy a fee on UPI transactions, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'prostrating' before US President Donald…
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday demanded an immediate rollback of the government's decision to levy a fee on UPI transactions, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'prostrating' before US President Donald Trump. In a video posted on X, Gandhi urged Modi to 'have a spine' and withdraw what he called the 'UPI tax'.
The government on Tuesday introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI merchant transfers above Rs 2,000 from October 15, while keeping person-to-person transactions and small payments free. The Congress has alleged the move was due to US pressure. The finance ministry denied this, saying the decision was made independently to build a self-sustaining digital payments ecosystem. The BJP accused the Congress of spreading 'fake news'.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The finance ministry's clarification that the UPI fee was not due to foreign influence is absent from most Congress-attributed reports, which instead lead with Gandhi's personal attack on Modi. The government's data, that 95% of merchant transactions stay free and small vendors are exempt, is only carried fully by Hindustan Times. The coverage splits along partisan lines: opposition outlets frame the fee as a tax on every Indian, while government-aligned reporting emphasises the self-sustainability goal. The consumer impact will depend on whether merchants pass the 0.4% charge to customers.
Coverage: 6 sources, 1 pro-government, 4 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (6): thefederal.com (government critical), economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), indiatvnews.com (government critical), newindianexpress.com (government critical), timesnownews.com (government critical), hindustantimes.com (pro government)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 6 sources.
