In a dramatic protest, Meerut-based iron trader Akshay Jain stripped down to his underwear at the Mohan Nagar GST office in Ghaziabad, alleging persistent harassment by officials of the department. A video of his protest went viral on social media, prompting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to criticize the Uttar Pradesh government for its handling of traders.
Yadav took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, sharing the video and commenting, "This is the truth of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ under BJP rule: BJP has even made traders take off their clothes. Traders are now saying they don’t want the BJP."
Jain said he resorted to the extreme measure out of frustration with what he described as continuous harassment from GST officials. However, GST department officials refuted these allegations, stating that Jain’s company, Arihant Iron and Steel Industry, had discrepancies in its delivery challan, including a missing weighing slip.
According to officials, a vehicle from Jain’s company was brought to the flying squad office for inspection, where it was found to be carrying 170 kg more than the declared weight. They imposed a penalty of 118%, amounting to ₹10,532, which was paid before the vehicle was released.
Jain, however, denied the allegations of excess weight, accusing the department of attempting to extort money. He stated that he had pleaded with GST officials to consider his situation, but their refusal led him to protest, drawing inspiration from the non-violent principles of Lord Mahavir.
The incident has sparked a debate about the treatment of traders by tax authorities, with many calling for fairer practices and less intrusive methods of enforcement.
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