Music maestro Ilayaraja praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and compared him to Dr BR Ambedkar last weekend. In his foreword for Ambedkar & Modi, Reformer’s Ideas, Performer’s Implementation, a book by Delhi-based Bluekraft Digital Foundation, the celebrated Tamil composer made the comparison and wrote, “Both these striking personalities succeeded against odds that people from socially disempowered sections of the society face. Both saw poverty and stifling social structures from close quarters and worked to dismantle them, but both are also practical men who believe in action rather than mere thought exercises.”
The five-time National Award-winner noted that Prime Minister Modi was on par with Ambedkar and that many of his plans were based on Ambedkar’s thinking. “Ambedkar would have been proud of the social changes brought about by the laws, including the Tin Talak Act.”
Now, days after Ilaiyaraaja’s appreciation for PM, he has been issued two Goods and Services Tax summons from the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence, Chennai Zonal Unit, for non-payment of service tax.
As per reports, Ilaiyaraaja was issued a summons on February 28 to appear before the authorities on March 19. He skipped the summons, following which another notice was issued to the 78-year-old.
Meanwhile, in the second notice issued to him on March 21, Ilaiyaraaja was asked to appear before the unit on March 28 to ‘submit the Proof/evidence/documents’ of the dues that have been paid. But, as of now, there is no clarity on whether Ilaiyaraaja made an appearance or if another summons was issued to him.
Following the summons from the GST directorate, many drew allegations on the music composer that he only praised Modi to save himself from the tax issue.
