GST On Paneer, Butter, Masala Is Recipe For A Shashi Tharoor Meme

Will paneer butter masala become costlier with the government raising Goods and Services Tax (GST) on some essential items? Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tucked in to the debate with his latest jibe against the Centre's move with a meme.

The "WhatsApp forward" shared by the Thiruvananthapuram MP pointed to the government bringing pre-packed food items, including paneer, under the tax regime.

I don't know who comes up with these brilliant WhatsAPP forwards but this one skewers the folly of the GST as few jokes have! pic.twitter.com/zcDGzgGOIQ

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 20, 2022

"GST on Paneer: 5%, GST on Butter: 12%, GST on Masala: 5%," the meme read, while telling the users: "New Maths Question: Calculate the GST on Paneer Butter Masala."

"I don't know who comes up with these brilliant WhatsApp forwards but this one skewers the folly of the GST as few jokes have!" Mr Tharoor said while sharing the tweet.

Paneer butter masala has been trending on social media since the new GST rates came into effect last Monday.

Food items such as cereals, pulse, and floor will now attract a GST of 5% if they are packed. The new GST rates are expected to add to the burden of increasing prices of such essential food items.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have condemned the move and their leaders have been protesting against it at the Parliament which is currently in session.