Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the government on Tuesday for the decision to start charging for UPI transactions. He stated that Prime Minister Modi has once again yielded to American pressure, similar to what happened with the trade deal with the US.
Rahul noted that American payment companies have long opposed India's policy of zero commission (zero-MDR). Now, according to him, the Modi government has paved the way for this policy to change in exactly that direction.
Congress Chairman Mallikarjun Kharge also commented on the government's actions, calling them 'plunder' which has now affected UPI. He emphasized that high inflation has emptied the pockets of ordinary citizens, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government plans to introduce a 'Digital Payment Tax' on the population to destroy remaining savings.
Rahul added that the MDR commission should apply exclusively to seller transactions via UPI, which account for 5% of the total volume but 65% of the total value. He warned that any fees for shop owners will ultimately be passed on to buyers.