Thiruvananthapuram: Amid a bitter political firestorm over Sam Pitroda's comments on inheritance tax and redistribution of wealth, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday defended the former and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was playing all sorts of games just to win the elections. Responding to PM Modi's speech that the main Opposition party plans to tax inheritance passed down from parents to their children, Kharge said it was utterly baseless and his party never promised anything like that in its manifesto.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

 



 


In response to PM Modi's 'mangalsutra jibe', the Congress veteran reminded that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had donated her jewellery in the 1962 India-China war. The Congress president also questioned if such sacrifices have been made by Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).


"What sacrifice has any leader of the BJP-RSS ever made for the nation? They did not even participate in the National Movement. For elections, Modi ji is lying to the people that their Mangalsutra shall not be safe. Congress governed this country for 55 years. Has that even happened once? Indira Gandhi donated her jewellery in the 1962 War. Pandit Motilal Nehru and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru donated their home to the freedom movement as Anand Bhawan in Allahabad. Our leaders have lived and sacrificed their life and blood for the nation," Kharge said in a post on X.


 



 


The comments from Kharge came after PM Modi last week alleged Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among "those having more children". The PM said that those who left Congress these days have pointed towards the party's manifesto and said that the party has gone into "grasp of urban Naxals."


Referring to reports about Congress's intention to redistribute wealth if elected to power, the Prime Minister said the party would conduct a survey and they would not even let Mangalsutra remain with women and "will go to this extent."


"When they (Congress) were in government, they said that Muslims have the first right over India's resources. So, they will distribute this wealth (property and gold) among those having more children, among illegal immigrants...this Urban Naxal thinking won't even spare your Mangalsutra," the PM said.


Prime Minister Modi made these remarks while addressing a poll rally at Chhattisgarh's Surguja during which he alleged that the Congress's "dangerous intentions are coming out in the open".


Referring to Sam Pitroda, the PM said, "The advisor of the prince of the Congress royal family had earlier said that the middle class should be taxed more. Now they have gone further ahead. Now Congress is saying that it will impose an Inheritance Tax and tax the inheritance received by people from their parents."


PM Modi in another rally said that his speech had created panic in the entire Congress and INDIA bloc. "When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech. This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance. I had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. I exposed their vote bank and appeasement politics. After all, why is Congress so afraid of the truth?" the Prime Minister said.


It may be noted that Pitroda, who is the head of the overseas wing of Congress, has courted a controversy over his remarks about inheritance tax in the US in an interview with the news agency ANI. While targeting the Prime Minister over his allegations that the Congress plans to redistribute the nation's wealth and that will take property and jewellery if it comes to power, Pitroda said the Congress's manifesto is well-drafted and accused the BJP of making up stories.