Sam Pitroda controversy: PM Modi, Amit Shah launch scathing attacks on Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge clarifies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday launched scathing attacks on the Congress after its senior leader Sam Pitroda reportedly advocated an inheritance tax law in India for wealth redistribution. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, however, said the party has no intentions as such.

Speaking at a public meeting in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, PM Narendra Modi alleged that the Congress is planning to impose higher taxes and does not want people to pass on their hard-earned wealth to their children.

“The advisor (Sam Pitroda) of the ‘prince’ and the ‘royal family’ had said some time ago that more taxes should be imposed on the middle class,” PM Modi.

“The Congress says that it will impose an inheritance tax, and it will also impose tax on the inheritance received from parents. Your children will not get the wealth that you accumulate through your hard work, rather the claws of the Congress will snatch it away from you,” Modi claimed.

Taking a swipe at the Congress, Amit Shah said the comments of the chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, the party has been completely exposed.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Amit Shah said, “After Sam Pitroda’s remark, the Congress is completely exposed. First of all, mention of ‘survey’ in their manifesto, Manmohan Singh’s old statement which is Congress’ legacy – that minorities have the first right over resources of the country, and now Sam Pitroda’s remark citing the United States that there should be deliberations on the distribution of wealth… 55% of wealth goes to the government’s property.”

Amit Shah further said, “Now when PM Modi raised this issue, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and the entire Congress party are on the back foot that it was never their motive. But today, Sam Pitroda’s statement has made Congress’s motive clear before the country. They want to survey the private property of the people of the country, put it in government property and distribute it as per decision during UPA’s regime.”

Mallikarjun Kharge, however, rejected the allegations saying “we don’t have any intention”.

“…There is a constitution, we don’t have any intention. Why are you putting his ideas in our mouths? Just for votes, he is playing all these games…,” Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters at a press conference in Kerala ahead of the phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The Congress has also distanced itself from Sam Pitroda’s statement.

A video of Sam Pitroda surfaced on social media on Wednesday where he talked about inheritance tax in America. The video triggered an outrage with the members of the ruling party attacking the Congress and alleging that it has decided to “destroy India”.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh defended his party saying Sam Pitroda’s opinion does not reflect the position of the party.

In the video available on social media, Pitroda was heard saying, “…In America, there is an inheritance tax. So if let’s say, one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair. In India, you don’t have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing… So these are the kinds of issues people will have to debate and discuss.”

“I don’t know what the conclusion would be at the end of the day but when we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of the super-rich only,” he said.

Soon after his remarks came into the Public domain, BJP’s Information technology cell chief Amit Malviya took to X and said, “Congress has decided to destroy India. Now, Sam Pitroda advocates 50% inheritance tax for wealth redistribution. This means 50% of whatever we build, with all our hard work and enterprise, will be taken away. 50%, besides all the tax we pay, which too will go up, if the Congress prevails.”

Pitroda also clarified himself on X in a series of posts and alleged that his remarks were twisted. “It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted by Godi media to divert attention from what lies the PM is spreading about the Congress manifesto. PM’s comments on Mangal Sutra & gold snatching is simply unreal,” he said in a post on Wednesday.

“I mentioned US inheritance tax in the US only as an example in my normal conversation on TV. Can I not mention facts ? I said these are the kind of issues people will have to discuss and debate. This has nothing to do with the policy of any party including congress…Who said 55% will be taken away ? Who said something like this should be done in India ? Why is BJP and the media in panic ?” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been attacking the Congress and alleging that the party intends to redistribute wealth based on the promises mentioned in its manifesto.

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