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Mallu Ravi demands withdrawal of UPI charges, calls it ‘Modi tax’

Hyderabad, Sep 17 (UNI) Congress MP Mallu Ravi on Thursday demanded immediate withdrawal of the newly introduced charges on select UPI transactions, describing them as a “Modi tax.”
Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan, Ravi said the government had encouraged people to adopt digital payments and was now burdening them with charges. He criticised the Centre and alleged that the move would create fear among people.
The government, however, has clarified that the new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is not a tax and will apply only to specified merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, while person-to-person payments will remain free.
On Telangana politics, Ravi said the Congress government had granted statehood to Telangana and alleged that the previous BRS government functioned in an authoritarian manner. Referring to the inquiry ordered into land around former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s farmhouse, he said the probe was intended to establish the facts.
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