Noted Jain saint Shri Vijay Ratnasunder Surishwar Maharaj described the proposal of imposing 30 per cent tax on charitable organisations by UPA government as injustice and violation of the fundamental rights of the citizens. He appealed to the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to withdraw the proposal forthwith. Talking to Organiser in New Delhi he said by imposing tax on charitable organisations the government is trying to ?reward the murderers and punish the protectors.?
?Government gives different kinds of subsidies to meat exporters. On the other hand the organisations, which run goshalas and other projects for animal protection, are being taxed by the government. We are not against taxing the organisations doing business in the name of charity, but those, which are genuinely working for welfare of the society and needy people must not be taxed,? he added. Shri Surishwar Maharaj has also petitioned before the Petition Committee of Rajya Sabha against the imposition of this tax. The petition was admitted on April 16, 2008.
The Jain saint who is in Delhi to educate the people and the policy-makers against introduction of sex education, said orphanage homes, panjrapole and goshalas, organisations working for physically challenged, bird and animal hospitals, institutions treating critical disease like cancer free of cost, providing free relief to the victims of any calamity, providing free meals and the organisations working for widows and destitute should not be taxed rather they should be encouraged by the government.
Commenting on the argument of the Union Finance Minister that charitable organisations receive guptdaan (anonymous donation), which remains uncounted, the Jain saint said guptadan is both a samskar and a fundamental right of the people. He said the government couldn'timpose double tax on a person.
(FOC)
