conflict over distribution of wealth: 'Congress spoils even with life, after life too': PM Modi attacks Congress over Sam Pitroda's remark on inheritance tax

Denouncing Sam Pitroda's remarks on inheritance tax and Rahul Gandhi's statement on wealth redistribution to the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asserted that the Congress would impose inheritance tax and continue to exploit people for their life and after their death. Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi said that as long as you are alive, the Congress will impose higher taxes on you and when you die, it will impose the burden of inheritance tax.

Congress wants to snatch your properties: PM Modi

“These people who considered the entire Congress Party as their ancestral property and gave it to their children no longer want Indians to give their property to their children,” Modi said. The Prime Minister said that Congress wants to take away the property inherited from your parents.

Criticizing Rahul Gandhi, Modi said the Congress does not understand our sanksar and wants to grab your assets and properties. “The advisor (Sam Pitroda) to the 'prince' and the 'royal family' said some time ago that we need to impose more taxes on the middle class. Congress says it will impose a tax on inheritances, as well as an inheritance tax on the inheritance received from parents. Your children will not get the wealth you have accumulated through your hard work, but the clutches of the Congress government will snatch it from you.

• All
• Uttar Pradesh
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• West Bengal
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• Kerala
• Madhya Pradesh
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• Delhi
• Other States

While Rahul Gandhi's plan looks like a simple 'Robin Hood' plan To steal from the rich and pay the poor, a vast debate has raged for some time over the idea of ​​wealth redistribution. This idea used to be at the heart of communist revolutions, but in recent times economists have debated the distribution of wealth due to growing income inequality.
Rahul Gandhi's advisor Sam Pitroda today sparked a controversy by highlighting the concept of inheritance tax prevalent in the United States. about 45 percent to their children, with the government claiming 55 percent. It's an intriguing law that implies that the wealth accumulated over your lifetime is not entirely yours and that half must be allocated to public welfare; seems fair to me,” remarked Pitroda.

“In India, there is no such provision. If an individual is worth 10 billion and dies, his children inherit the entire sum, leaving nothing to the public… These are the issues that require deliberation and debate “When we discuss wealth redistribution, we advocate for new policies and programs that prioritize the interests of the population rather than benefiting only the super-rich,” he added.

Furthermore, Pitroda stressed that wealth distribution is purely a matter of politics and expressed concern over Prime Minister Modi's remarks on the Congress Manifesto.

“It is a question of policy. The Congress party intends to formulate policies that facilitate a fairer distribution of wealth. Currently, there is no minimum wage in India. If we were to introduce a wage national minimum, stipulating that a certain amount would be paid to the disadvantaged, this would constitute a distribution of wealth Currently, wealthy individuals do not adequately pay their domestic workers, but they splurge on vacations to Dubai and London. …When we talk about wealth distribution, it's not about sitting down and deciding to distribute a predetermined amount for everyone,” Pitroda said.
Addressing an election rally in Chhattisgarh's Ambikapur, Modi said the Congress's dangerous intentions were emerging one by one and now “he is saying he will impose inheritance tax”.

“The 'shehzada' advisor of the 'shahi parivar', who was also the advisor of the shehzada's father, said that more taxes should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by working hard,” said Modi, apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi and Pitroda.

The Congress will impose tax on the property inherited from their parents, he said, asserting that the 'panja' (Congress election symbol) will take away the property of their children.

“The mantra of the Congress is Congress ki loot 'zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi' (the mantra of the Congress is loot people during their lifetime and after too),” he said while improvising on the iconic slogan of the state-run life insurance company. . (LIC).

“As long as you are alive, Congress will impose more taxes, and when your life is over, they will impose the burden of inheritance taxes on you. They (Congress) want to take away your property and the rights of your children.” , said the Prime Minister. He made similar remarks during his rallies in Madhya Pradesh.

Pitroda, however, sought to clarify matters by saying that it was regrettable that what he said as an individual on inheritance taxes in the United States was distorted by the “godi media” to divert attention from “lies” that Modi is spreading about the Congress manifesto. Modi's comments on Mangal Sutra and gold snatching are simply unreal, he added.

“I mentioned U.S. inheritance taxes in the United States only as an example in my usual TV conversation. Can I not mention facts? I said those were the kinds of issues that people will have to discuss and debate. This has nothing to do with the politics of any party, including Congress,” he said on X.

Faced with fierce attacks from the BJP, the Congress insisted that its platform does not talk about “redistribution” and that it favors a “complete socio-economic census of castes”.

While Pitroda's comments provided fresh fodder for the BJP, its leaders latched on to them to target the main opposition party ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on On death – Tax (Inheritance)

“Aimed to hit the middle and aspiring classes. Their savings or small assets should not go to their children. Dr. MMS's 'organized and legalized plunder' will be seen in action. Congressional tax terrorism.”

The Congress also launched a counter-offensive when its functionaries shared past comments by BJP leaders, including former Union minister and incumbent Lok Sabha MP Jayant Sinha, in favor of such a tax.

Sinha, the then finance minister, had publicly stated in 2014 that he wanted to introduce inheritance tax, while the then finance minister Arun Jaitley had welcomed the concept in 2018, saying it was an important source of endowment for hospitals and educational establishments in the West. country, Ramesh claimed, sharing screenshots of related reports.

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “Sam Pitroda has hatched Congress's nefarious plan. We are an economy based on savings. In India, a generation (of a family) earns by working hard. The second generation builds on that and then the third generation gets some comfort.”

“And the Congress wants to take away this happiness and this peace from the people, with Sam Pitroda talking about imposing a tax on gold,” he accused.

Home Minister Amit Shah also criticized Pitroda's remarks, saying “the Congress's appeasement policy is on display today with Sam Pitroda's statement on wealth redistribution.” He reaffirmed the party's intention to seize the majority's assets and distribute them to the minority. »

“This once again highlights that empowerment of India's poor, Dalits, youth, tribals and backward classes has never been on the agenda of the Congress,” he said. -he declared on X.

Lashing out at the Congress for its reaction to Pitroda's comments, BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan said the opposition party should distance itself as it would harm them.

“There is no consistency in the speeches of Congress leaders. There is no clarity. This is affecting them. Congress will be at its all-time low on June 4 (vote counting day),” did he declare.

With contributions from PTI