'0.5% of voters pay any meaningful income tax': Ashneer Grover decodes India's 'tax politics'

BharatPe co-founder and former MD Ashneer Grover called India's taxpayers a meaningless majority as far as the elections were concerned. 

Grover's post in X comes amid a raging debate triggered by Indian Overseas Congress president Sam Pitroda's remarks. Pitroda in an interview said inheritance tax in America was an interesting law and could be an issue that people could debate and discuss.

"8/140 crore file IT Return. 2/140 crore Indians pay Income Tax. Only. 45 Lakh of them contribute 80% of this Income Tax. Total 97 crore voters. Do the maths - 0.5% of voters pay any meaningful Income Tax," Grover wrote, terming it the reason why "you can say anything on tax in a political rally and get away with it".

As Pitroda's comments came under fire from BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi,  he was quick to clarify: “Who said 55% will be taken away? Who said something like this should be done in India? Why is BJP and media in panic? 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 PM is spreading about Congress manifesto. PM’s comments on mangalsutra and gold snatching is simply unreal. 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.”

Addressing a poll rally at Chhattisgarh's Surguja, the Prime Minister said the Congress's "dangerous intentions are coming out in the open".

Referring to Pitroda, he 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 the Congress is saying that it will impose an Inheritance Tax and tax the inheritance received by people from their parents."

"The wealth you accumulate with your hard work won't pass down to your children. The Congress's hand will snatch it. The Congress's mantra is 'loot during your lifetime, loot after your death'," the Prime Minister said, taking a cue from Life Insurance Corporation's "zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi" tagline.