The Congress leader calls for withdrawal of the new merchant fee while alleging the Centre is responding to US pressure
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded the rollback of the Centre’s newly introduced Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI transactions, while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of yielding to US President Donald Trump.
In a video posted on X, Gandhi urged Modi to “have a spine” and withdraw the charge. He alleged that the government was imposing a burden on Indians while giving money to the United States.
The remarks came after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a 0.4% MDR on person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, effective October 15. The charge will be capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, while person-to-person payments and transactions up to Rs 2,000 remain free.
Gandhi alleged that the decision was linked to US demands over India’s zero-MDR system, though this claim was not established in the announcement of the new framework.
The Congress has also criticised the move, accusing the government of yielding to US pressure and using the term “NOTA” as a political acronym targeting Modi.
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