Nirmala Sitharaman Responds To LinkedIn User’s “Corruption In GST Registrations” Claim

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has responded to a social media post that claimed fraudulent activities in the GST registration process.

Her statement came after a LinkedIn post by Vinod Gupta, founder and director of VG Learning Destination, went viral. Mr Gupta alleged that he would be forced to “commit a crime” by paying a bribe to get a registration number for his firm.

Referring to the post, Ms Sitharaman said, “It is our responsibility to serve taxpayers. But while doing that, we must be honest and transparent, because that’s how we earn their trust. I believe the GST Board and officers will continue to be careful and quick in responding to people’s issues.Mr Gupta, in his now-viral LinkedIn post, claimed that he hasn’t received the GST number even though he applied for it 20 days ago. He wrote, “Tomorrow I will commit a crime. Giving and taking bribery: both are crimes. I applied for a GST registration number for a firm in which my wife and daughter are partners 20 days ago.”