A political storm has erupted over senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks on inheritance tax, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that this signals the party’s intent to redistribute the wealth of Indians if voted to power. Pitroda’s example of an inheritance tax in the US has fueled the fire that the Congress has been trying to extinguish since Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue at a rally two days ago.
Congress has distanced itself from Pitroda’s comments, and Pitroda himself has issued a clarification stating that he was merely expressing his personal views on inheritance tax in the US. Despite these attempts to quell the controversy, the BJP has continued to target the Congress, alleging that the party’s manifesto promises to seize and redistribute the wealth of Indians.
Prime Minister Modi has claimed that the Congress manifesto proposes to take stock of the gold owned by Indian women, count and assess it, and then distribute that wealth to Muslims, who he alleges have been given preferential treatment by the government. However, the Congress manifesto makes no such claims. It does, however, promise to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to gather data and strengthen affirmative action policies.
Pitroda, in his initial remarks, had suggested that India should consider a policy similar to the inheritance tax where the government would take a portion of a person’s wealth after their death. He cited the US as an example, where some states impose an inheritance tax on inherited assets above a certain threshold. However, it is important to note that the US does not have a federal inheritance tax.
Several Congress leaders have publicly clarified that the party has no plans to seize and redistribute wealth. The party has also filed a complaint with the Election Commission, highlighting PM Modi’s speech on the issue. Despite these efforts, Pitroda’s remarks have forced the Congress into damage control mode, emphasizing that his comments do not reflect the party’s policies.
The BJP’s continued attacks over Pitroda’s comments have escalated the political tensions between the two parties, adding another layer of controversy to the upcoming elections.
