However, following the move by the finance ministry to up the Goods and Services Tax from 5 percent to 18 percent on caramel popcorn, this hashtag #PopcornTax blew up overnight. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarified that caramel popcorn, having added sugar, is different from salted or plain popcorn, which some states had been tagging as “namkeen.” The GST Council later clarified that the tax rate for popcorn will remain the same, but the initial announcement sent shockwaves across social media in the form of widespread confusion and humor.
In a viral video, content creator Aryan Kataria used the confusion to prank people on the street with weird claims about GST rules. In the video titled “Telling people about weird GST rules,” Kataria approached people on the street who were using their phones and told them that holding the phone in their right hand would attract GST. Many were baffled but obeyed by putting their mobile phones on their left hand. Kataria then stopped an auto driver and told him that wearing open shirts would also invite GST. Aghast, the driver buttoned his shirt in obedience to the fake rule.
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While most people believed the prank, a few questioned the absurdity, with one person asking, “Isme GST lagane ka kya matlab hai?” Kataria joked that it was as sensible as raising GST on caramel popcorn. He continued his prank by informing two men that walking without their arms around each other would attract GST, whereupon they walked away, but later embraced in the suggested manner.
Social media found the prank hilarious, but users were concerned that people so easily believed the made-up rules. One commented, “People believing in it makes me really worried,” while another remarked, “Brilliant.so innovative.shows the sad state of affairs too.”
