‘Communists in this country are total cowards’: FM Sitharaman hits back at Brittas over UPI fee row

A heated UPI charges debate erupted in Parliament as CPI(M) MP John Brittas questioned the government over provisions in the Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill, 2026. Brittas argued that the move could undermine the policy of keeping UPI payments free. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected the concerns, clarifying that the proposed amendment does not impose any tax or transaction charge on UPI users. She said any future Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) would require a decision by the UPI and services steering committee, with no framework finalised yet.