Iron Trader's Bold Protest Sheds Light On GST Harassment

Meerut-based iron trader Akshay Jain protested at a GST office in Ghaziabad, alleging departmental harassment. A viral video sparked political reactions, with Jain denying discrepancies related to his delivery. Local officials cited issues with weight on a delivery vehicle, leading to penalties.

In a dramatic protest that caught widespread attention, Akshay Jain, an iron trader from Meerut, stripped to his underwear at Ghaziabad's Mohan Nagar GST office alleging harassment by department officials.

The incident, recorded and shared widely on social media, gained political traction when Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav highlighted it to criticize the Uttar Pradesh government's policies on 'Ease of Doing Business'.

While Jain claimed his actions were out of frustration over baseless allegations, GST officials countered, accusing him of discrepancies in delivery documents, which led to financial penalties and vehicle detainment.

(With inputs from agencies.)