Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 21 (ANI): Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Sunday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on GST reforms, crediting his decade-long leadership for transforming India into one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

Speaking to ANI, Chandrasekhar said, 'When people today look back at the last 10 years and see how far India has come, we are sitting in a place where India is the fourth largest economy in the world. We are the fastest-growing major economy. Youngsters have created lakhs of startups, and we are creating opportunities for those who never had them for 75 years,' Chandrasekhar said.

BJP leader highlighted that the government is now in a position to spend record amounts on public infrastructure, national security, and other important areas that had long suffered from underfunding. 'How did this happen? Congress also had 10 years in government, so why could they not do it? And how come PM Narendra Modi's 10 years have done it?' he asked.

'The answer is very simple, it is because PM Modi believed in a vision for India, created the policies for that vision, and implemented them sincerely and then when those implementations have borne fruit, he has delivered the next stage of his promises which is to say that everything that a common man consumes today will fall between 0% GST and 5% GST and so this is what he promised in 2016 and this is what he delivers today,' Chandrasekhar added.

Chandrasekhar further praised PM Modi's speech and said, 'He very beautifully outlined today in his speech what his original vision was that India must be one common market where even the smallest business must be able to do business all over the country without having to worry about octroi and entry tax and bribes and corruption and this what he had done in the last 10 years and country is deeply grateful for it.'

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates would complement income tax benefits given earlier this year, creating a 'double bonanza' for citizens.

In his address to the nation on the eve of the implementation of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, the Prime Minister linked the move to the government's broader reform agenda. PM also lauded India's socio-economic progress, announcing that 25 crore people have overcome poverty in the last eleven years, giving rise to a dynamic 'neo-middle class'.

He described this neo-middle class as a powerful force driving India's development story. 'In the last 11 years, 25 crore people in the country have defeated poverty. Having emerged from poverty, a large group of 25 crore people, known as the neo-middle class, is playing a significant role in the country today. This neo-middle class has its own aspirations and dreams,' the Prime Minister said.

'This year, the government presented a gift by making income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free and naturally, when income tax relief up to Rs 12 lakh is granted, the lives of the middle class undergo a profound transformation, bringing about so much simplicity and convenience...Now, the poor, the neo-middle class, and the middle class are receiving a double bonanza. With the reduction in GST, it will be easier for the citizens of the country to fulfil their dreams...,' he said.

Calling reforms a 'continuous process,' Modi said the latest GST changes were crafted to meet the country's 'current needs and future dreams.'

'Reform is a continuous process. As times change and the country's needs change, next-generation reforms are equally necessary. These new GST reforms are being implemented, keeping in mind the country's current needs and future dreams...'

Reflecting on the journey of the GST since its rollout in 2017, the Prime Minister said the reforms represent the fulfilment of the country's long-standing dream of 'One Nation, One Tax.' 'In 2017, India embarked on a transformative journey by implementing GST reforms, marking the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in its economic history,' he said.

'For decades, our country's people and our country's traders were entangled in a web of various taxes. Octroi, entry tax, sales tax, excise, VAT, service tax--dozens of such taxes existed in our country. To send goods from one city to another, we had to cross countless checkpoints...,' he added. (ANI)