New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stepped into an online debate regarding alleged malpractices in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration process. Her statement came in direct response to a LinkedIn post by Vinod Gupt in which he claimed he was being effectively “forced to commit a crime” by paying a bribe to secure a GST identification number for his firm.

Gupta is the founder and director of VG Learning Destination. His post went viral after the finance minister responded to him online.

Gupta expressed his frustration in the post, stating that despite applying for a GST number for a firm, in which his wife and daughter are partners, 20 days prior, it had yet to be allotted. He complained that objections kept arising, leading him to conclude, “I know I will get it after committing the crime.”

He mentioned, “Objections started coming in. Till today, the number has not been allotted. So, I’ve........

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