Opposition attacks Centre over UPI charges on merchant transactions

The government announced a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI payments exceeding ₹2,000 made to merchants. The opposition has strongly criticised the move, with Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge targeting the Prime Minister over the new charges.

Opposition parties have dubbed the measure a "Modi tax," arguing it burdens merchants and undermines the digital payment ecosystem that the government had previously promoted.