A recent ruling by the Karnataka bench of the Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) justifying the 18 per cent GST charged on parottas because "they are not rotis" has baffled Twitterati. On a day when the GST Coucil, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is set to meet via video conferencing, the news of 'parottas'--the humble cousin of chappatis--attracting an 18 per cent GST, as opposed to rotis, being taxed a mere 5 per cent, was trending on Twitter.
According to a TOI report, Bengaluru-based ID Fresh Food, a company engaged in the sale of ready-to-eat food products, had sought a ruling on the GST rate applicable to whole-wheat parottas and Malabar parottas. However, in its ruling, AAR reiterated that parottas are not rotis because the latter are already prepared or completely cooked products and are ready-to-use food preparations. "On the other hand, parotas need to be heated before consumption," the report cited the AAR ruling. On this ground, the bench ruled that parottas cannot be classified under 'rotis' and will incur 18 per cent GST as opposed to 5 per cent on rotis.
Social media users, especially from Kerala where the combination "parotta and beef" has attained a staple food status, were in no mood to buy the bizarre argument. They vented out their anger on Twitter, with some even terming it "food fascism".
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also could not help but wonder about the GST ruling.