Raghav Chadha Urges Scrap of LTCG Tax on Equities Amid STT Hike

• Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha demands abolition of Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax on equities for individual investors.
• His call follows Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement of a hike in Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on derivatives trading in Budget 2026–27.
• Chadha supports the STT hike on F&O trading to curb speculation, noting nearly 90% of retail investors lose money in F&O.
• He argues that with both STT and LTCG, investors are disincentivized and urges the government to make LTCG nil for individuals, citing countries like Switzerland, Singapore, and UAE.
• Scrapping LTCG would boost household wealth, reduce speculative trading, and encourage investment in equities over gold and real estate.