 "Fact-check: Modi govt did NOT propose 5% tax on healthcare, UPA govt did in 2011")
synopsis
The clarification from the government came after certain verified handles on Twitter shared a letter apparently penned by eminent cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, who is also the Chairman and Executive Director of Narayana Health.
The Narendra Modi government has branded as fake news a message being shared on social media that claimed that the Centre had proposed a 5 per cent tax on healthcare in the recent Union Budget 2023. The clarification busts an attempt to falsely foist upon the BJP government a proposal that was originally mooted by the United Progressive Alliance government.
The clarification from the government came after certain verified handles on Twitter shared a letter apparently penned by eminent cardiac surgeon Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, who is also the Chairman and Executive Director of Narayana Health.
The letter apparently sought to highlight the implications of the Budget proposal to hike the service tax on healthcare by 5 per cent. The letter called upon people to fight the "injustice" and choose March 12 as 'Misery Day'. Asking for the note to be shared with others as well, the letter also appealed to people to assemble at the 'Governor's House' with a petition to roll back the 'Misery Tax'.
Jawahar Sircar, Rajya Sabha MP from the Trinamool Congress, was among those who shared the 'letter to the Aam Aadmi'. Taking to Twitter, Sircar said, 'Agree fully with Dr Devi Shetty that Modi-Nirmala's service tax on health services will devastate the middle class and poor. Withdraw this tax!'
However, this claim is misleading.
Busting the fake news, the central government said that the letter is from the year 2011 and is being shared out of context.
Yes, Dr Devi Shetty did write this letter. However, it was written when the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed in his Budget to levy a service tax of five per cent on the healthcare services provided by hospitals with 25 or more beds with central air conditioning facilities.
Dr Devi Shetty had then met Mukherjee and sought its rollback. This government was forced to withdraw the proposal, have outrage from healthcare professionals. There is no such proposal in the Union Budget 2023.
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