Rahul Gandhi attacks the Modi government over a notification that could enable charges linked to Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions, arguing the Centre is “quietly” opening the door to imposing fees. He also claims the move is driven by external pressure, citing alleged US involvement.
The Centre’s notification bars charges on UPI payments up to ₹2,000 and on payments made through RuPay debit cards. Beyond that threshold, the broader framework referenced in the notification is tied to a “merchant dispute resolution” (MDR) mechanism, according to the outlet summaries. The government defends the move by citing costs related to cybersecurity and payment infrastructure, framing the changes as part of a wider system-level arrangement rather than immediate fee imposition on the most common low-value transfers.
Across outlets, the dispute centers on political criticism versus the government’s stated safeguards for transactions up to ₹2,000 and RuPay payments, alongside the rationale for extending an MDR framework.
