Prime Minister Narendra Modi seized on remarks made by Congress leader Sam Pitroda, using them as fuel for his criticism of the party during a rally in Surguja, Chhattisgarh. Modi claimed that advisors to the “royal family prince” had previously suggested imposing more taxes on the middle class. Now, he said, the Congress party has gone a step further by proposing an ‘Inheritance Tax’, which would tax the inheritance received from parents. He argued that the property individuals have accumulated through their hard work would not be passed on to their children, but instead snatched away by the Congress party.
He coined the phrase: ‘Congress ki loot — Zindagi ke saath bhi, Zindagi ke baad bhi’, suggesting that Congress will impose higher taxes while you are alive, and burden you with an inheritance tax after death. He criticized those who treated the entire Congress party as their ancestral property and handed it over to their children, while not wanting Indians to pass on their property to their children.
These comments came to light shortly after an interview with Pitroda, in which he discussed the inheritance tax in America. He described it as an interesting law and suggested that it could be a topic for debate and discussion. He explained that in America, if someone has $100 million worth of wealth and they die, they can only transfer probably 45% to their children and 55% goes to the government. He found this law fair, as it suggests that the wealth you made in your generation should be left for the public, not all of it, but half of it. He contrasted this with the situation in India, where if someone is worth 10 billion and they die, their children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing.
As his comments drew criticism from BJP leaders, Pitroda was quick to clarify, questioning who said 55% will be taken away and who said something like this should be done in India. He expressed disappointment that his individual comments on the inheritance tax in the US were twisted by the media to divert attention from what he described as lies the Prime Minister is spreading about the Congress manifesto. He defended his right to mention facts and said these are the kind of issues people will have to discuss and debate. He stressed that this has nothing to do with the policy of any party, including Congress.
Other Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh, also attempted to explain Pitroda’s comments. Modi’s fresh line of attack against the Congress comes against the backdrop of his repeated assertions in recent rallies that the party is planning “wealth redistribution”. Speaking in Rajasthan, he claimed that the Congress party’s manifesto includes plans to survey your property and the mangalsutra held by women, suggesting that even items kept in a box inside your house could be discovered through an X-ray.
