Posted by New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed Congress and said that the grand old party wants to snatch people’s assets and rights of their children by bring in an Inheritance Tax.
PM Modi, during a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Sarguja, said that people’s rightful money was looted during the previous Congress regime while the BJP has used their money to provide basic amenities such as housing and medical assistance to the poor.
“As long as you are alive, Congress will hit you with higher taxes and when you are no longer alive, it will burden you with Inheritance Tax. Those people who considered the entire Congress party as their ancestral property and handed it over to their children, now do not want Indians to pass on their property to their children,” said PM Modi in the rally.
PM Modi takes on Congress over Sam Pitroda’s remarks
“The royal family’s prince’s advisor had said some time ago that more taxes should be imposed on the middle class. Now these people have gone one step further than this. Now Congress says that it will impose Inheritance Tax, it will also impose tax on the inheritance received from parents,” added the PM.
PM Modi’s remarks come in response to a statement by Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda where he suggested a discussion on Inheritance Tax in US where only about half of the parents’ wealth is transferred to children, while remaining is taken over by the government.
What Sam Pitroda said about wealth distribution in US?
A massive controversy erupted after Sam Pitroda suggested discussion on the Inheritance Tax in US where about 55 percent of a person’s wealth is overtaken by the government and the only the remaining 45 percent in inherited to the children.
“In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% 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,” said Pitroda.
Pitroda added that new policies about redistributing wealth should be in the interest of the people and not in the interest of super-rich only.
“So these are the kind 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 super-rich only,” added Pitroda.
Congress defends Sam Pitroda
Amid ongoing war of words over Pitroda’s remarks, Congress party’s secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh said his remarks does not relflect the party’s line. He also alleged that Pitroda’s remarks were being sensationalised to divert attention.
सैम पित्रोदा मेरे सहित दुनिया भर में कई लोगों के लिए गुरु, मित्र, दार्शनिक और मार्गदर्शक के समान रहे हैं। उन्होंने भारत के विकास में कई महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दिया है। वह इंडियन ओवरसीज कांग्रेस के अध्यक्ष हैं।
पित्रोदा जी उन मुद्दों पर खुलकर अपनी बात रखते हैं जिनके बारे में वह बोलना…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 24, 2024
“Now his (Sam Pitroda) comments are being sensationalised and presented in a different context. This is being done deliberately to divert attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s malicious and hate-filled election campaign; which is based only and only on lies,” said Ramesh on X.