India, July 20 -- Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai has strongly criticized the state's Commercial Tax Department for what he called an "unjust" move to levy years' worth of Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues - along with penalties and interest - on small and micro businesses. He called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step in and offer immediate relief to the affected traders.

Taking to social media platform X, Bommai described the tax crackdown as a "GST shock" that has hit small business owners hard and labeled the government's action as "condemnable".

"The action of the Karnataka State Government's Commercial Taxes Department in imposing a GST shock on small and micro-business owners is highly condemnable,"...