New Delhi, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Centre over the revised Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for select UPI transactions, alleging that the move could eventually burden consumers, while the BJP hit back accusing him of spreading “lies and fake news”.
In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the Modi government had “quietly opened the door to imposing fees on UPI” by allowing MDR to be levied on certain merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000.
He claimed that although such transactions account for only around 5 per cent of transaction volume, they represent nearly 65 per cent of the total value of UPI transactions.
Questioning the government’s assertion that customers would not be charged directly, Gandhi argued that merchants could ultimately recover the cost through higher prices.
“But where will the fees imposed on shopkeepers ultimately come from? Added to prices, straight out of the customer’s pocket,” he said.
Gandhi also alleged that American payment companies had long opposed India’s zero-MDR policy and claimed that the revised framework was moving in that direction.
The BJP rejected the allegations, with national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accusing Gandhi and the Congress of spreading misinformation.
“Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are a ‘naraz fufa’ who run a shop of lies,” Bhandari said, alleging that the party had historically opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for the UPI-led digital payments revolution.
Bhandari also referred to the BJP’s performance in the Rajasthan civic body polls and said the results showed that “Truth” would prevail over what he called the Congress’s “Jhooth ki Goonj”.
The BJP spokesperson further alleged that the Congress was frustrated by India’s economic progress and the success of UPI, claiming that the digital payments system had expanded significantly under the Modi government.
The political exchange came after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced a revision of the MDR framework for select UPI transactions. Under the revised framework, charges will apply to certain merchant payments above Rs 2,000, while low-value transactions and payments involving small merchants will continue under the zero-MDR framework.
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