FM Nirmala Sitharaman hits back at Jairam Ramesh over UPI taxation: Social media reacts, ‘When I sell my kidney…’

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's criticism of the newly proposed Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill, which could potentially introduce transaction fees on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. Ramesh argued that the bill's changes would burden customers financially, as it would end the current fee-free protection for UPI users.

However, Sitharaman clarified that merchants would be the only ones to bear any charges, while customers would not be directly affected. She also emphasized that the bill's implementation is still undecided and that the NPCI-led steering committee would decide on the specifics after the bill passes. Social media users reacted with skepticism and sarcasm, suggesting that this could set a precedent for charging UPI transactions, similar to other financial services.