We are free not to join GST roll out program: Kerala FM

Reiterating Communist Party of India's (CPI) stand of skipping the special the Goods and Services Tax (GST) roll out meeting, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Friday said that they are free to not join the event.

Isaac told ANI the way Centre is portraying the GST to be a game changer, but it is not the case.

"We are free to not join the event," Isaac told ANI.

Ahead of the historic rollout of the GST that is scheduled to take effect from midnight, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu earlier in the day hoped the opposition parties 'realise and rethink' their stand and join the government for the midnight Parliament session.

"It's really unfortunate because they are distancing themselves from the process of reformation in the country. I hope they (Congress) realise by evening and re-think and join us in the Central Hall," Naidu said.

"I still appeal to the Congress and other parties boycotting GST event to reconsider. It's not a party function," he added.

The GST, which is slated to roll out on the midnight today, will bring the Indian economy under a single tax bracket.

-ANI