Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said there was no such intention of imposing a tax on wealth (inheritance tax) and that the party cannot do this. "There is a constitution, we don't have any intention. Why are you putting his ideas in our mouths? Just for votes, he (PM Modi) is playing all these games," Kharge told reporters.
In an interview aired today, Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, talked about "inheritance tax in the United States" on the Congress' "redistribution of wealth" issue.
Meanwhile, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said that what Sam Pitroda has said is not a part of the party's manifesto. Tharoor further said that the Congress manifesto doesn't talk about wealth redistribution.
"What Sam Pitroda has said is not in the manifesto...We are a democratic party, everyone has a right to their personal opinions...But once the document is approved by the Working Committee, that is all the party is standing behind. So, the party is saying - this is our document, read it," Tharoor said.
Tharoor also said that the Congress 2024 manifesto neither talks about taking anyone's gold nor does it talk about snatching the mangalsutra of women, alluding to PM Modi's controversial remarks at a recent rally in Rajasthan's Banswara. He added that his comment on wealth redistribution is his personal opinion.
"This is such preposterous attacks that we are seeing from the BJP. It is a measure of their desperation. They know that they are losing this election and they will fling any mud that they can...Sam Pitroda is not in the manifesto committee. This is not part of our agenda...It is his personal opinion. You can't take anyone's personal opinion and say that it is going to be Congress party's intention," he said.
'Zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi': PM Modi attacks Congress
Sam Pitroda's did not go unnoticed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the Congress wants to fill its coffers by not allowing people to pass on their hard-earned wealth to their children and imposing higher taxes.
"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," said PM Modi.
Narendra Modi further said: "Congress says that it will impose an inheritance tax, and it will also impose a 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."
He added Pitroda's remarks exposed the intention of the Congress. "Congress has one mantra-- to loot people zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi (in life and even after death)," he said.
What exactly did Sam Pitroda say?
The Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress told news agency ANI that Congress, if it comes to power, would create policies to prevent concentration of wealth. "It is like the monopoly act, it does not mean I will take away your shirt," he said. Explaining his point further, Pitroda referred to the inheritance tax in the US.
“In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth, 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,” Pitroda said. He said that the 50 per cent tax on wealth "sounds fair" for him.
Sam Pitroda noted in the US, the wealth made by an individual stays in her generation, and at the time of her death, half of the wealth is left for the public. Furthermore, Pitroda said that there is no such law in India. He said that in India, if somebody with a net worth of $10 billion dies, his children get the same while the public gets nothing.