A sarcastic social media post reading, "Madam, please ensure GST is charged when I sell my kidney," has emerged as one of the most widely shared reactions after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that customers would not be charged under the proposed changes to Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) rules for UPI and RuPay transactions.<\/p>\n
This sets a precedent that you can tax UPI. Might as well put a one percent charge on all UPI transactions . Madam please ensure GST is charged when i sell my kidney.<\/p>\n
The remark came amid a political face-off between the Centre and the Congress over the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, with both sides sparring over the future of digital payment charges.<\/p>\n
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the proposed amendment to Section 10A of the Payment Act, arguing that replacing the existing statutory zero-MDR provision with government notification powers removes the legal guarantee of fee-free digital payments.<\/p>\n
He claimed the Reserve Bank of India's \u20b92.86 lakh crore surplus transfer for 2025-26 was sufficient to support the UPI ecosystem without imposing charges.<\/p>\n
"The Modi government's claim that this is the only way to keep UPI financially sustainable is entirely wrong. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sufficient capacity to maintain the UPI system on a financially sustainable basis without imposing any additional fees on merchants or consumers," he wrote.<\/p>\n
The Congress MP also cited the US Trade Representative's 2026 report, which he said criticised UPI and RuPay for disadvantaging American companies such as Visa and Mastercard.<\/p>\n
He further suggested that US President Donald Trump may have influenced the government's decision.<\/p>\n
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"Donald Trump has publicly claimed more than 100 times that he pressured the Modi government into securing a sudden ceasefire during Operation Sindoor by threatening American tariffs. The United States has also claimed that India's gradual reduction in oil imports from Russia is a result of President Trump's directives."<\/p>\n
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He added, "We also know that the Modi government, bowing to President Trump's bullying, accepted a trade agreement between India and the United States that was widely regarded as unfair and which particularly sacrificed the interests of our farmers and small businesses."<\/p>\n
Responding to the criticism, Sitharaman said any MDR, if introduced, would apply only to merchants and not to customers.<\/p>\n
She said the framework would enable banks and fintech companies to invest in infrastructure, innovation and security, benefiting the digital payments ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Before spreading a canard, @Jairam_Ramesh ji, please consider this:1. Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applies only on the merchants and not on the end users\/customers. It will support the Banks & Fintech to invest more on infrastructure, innovation & security. All users of UPI\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/sleUX4ztWe<\/p>\n