OMKAR DATTATRAY
The overseas congress president, senior congress leader and advisor of congress Sam Pitroda has once again given controversial statements about congress The remarks of Sam pitroda has exposed congress further and the real face of congress has come to fore .Sam Pitroda says congress’s redistribution of wealth is the in interest of people and advocates inheritance tax in India .Mr Pitroda said that the subject of wealth distribution is strictly a policy issue and he feels concerned about Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his remarks on congress manifesto .Chairman of Indian overseas congress Sam Pitroda has backed the congress stand on redistribution of wealth and advocated an inheritance tax in the country .Emphasing the need for policy towards wealth redistribution ,Patroda elaborated on the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in the US .In America ,there is an inheritance tax .If one has dollar 100 million of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer 45% to his children ,and 555 is grabbed by the government .That is an interesting law. t 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.” PM slams congress on Pitroda’s inheritance tax remark ,says its dangerous intention ,his children get dollar 10 billion and the public gets nothing. So these are the kinds of issues people will have to debate and discuss .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 added .Pitroda further said ”This is a we do not have a minimum wage in the country .If we come up with a minimum wage in the country saying you must pay so much money to the poor that is the distribution of wealth. Today ,rich people don’t pay their peons servants, and home helper s enough but they spend that money on vacation in Dubai and London -When you talk about the distribution of wealth ,it is not that you sit on a chair and say I have this much money and I will be distributing it to everybody, ”Pitroda said ”It’s naïve to think like that. The PM of a country thinks like that .I have some concerns about his brain,’ ‘he said when asked to comment on the prime Minister’s criticism of congress manifesto. Prime Minister Modi and the BJP have criticized the congress manifesto saying the poll document smacks of appeasement and that if it comes to power it will distribute wealth from the quota of SC , ST and OBC communities. Pitroda also expressed disappointment over Modi equating the congress manifesto for Lok Sabha elections a poll document of erstwhile ‘Muslim League ‘Pitroda said that he feels ashamed of the prime minister and called him a pathological liar’. Slamming the PM over his recent remark’ those who have more children ,Pitroda said that fear has set in the minds of BJP after first phase of polls and this has led them towards making such comments. Pitroda’s recent comments on inheritance tax triggered a political slugfest on Wednesday with PM Modi attacking congress for planning to impose higher taxes and not wanting people to pass on their hard-earned income to their heirs .Congress distanced itself from Pitroda’s remarks and party spokesman jairam Ramesh said former PM Rajiv Gandhi in fact abolished estate duty in 1985.Leading the BJP’s attack over senior congress leader Sam Pitroda’s comments ,Prime Minister Modi alleged the opposition party plans to tax inheritance passed down from parents to their children. The congress has distanced itself from Mr Pitroda’s remarks and said they did not reflect the party’s position .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 Mr 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 the people from their parents. ”’The wealth you accumulate with your hard work won’t pass down to your children .The congress’s mantra is during your life time ,loot after your death ”the PM said taking a cue from Life Insurance Corporation’s ”Zindagi ke saath bhi ,Zindagi ke baad bhi’ tagline. ”As long as you live ,congress’s high taxation will make you suffer .When you are dead, they will put the burden of inheritance tax on your children .”he said .Mr Pitroda ,who leads the overseas wing of the congress is at the centre of a huge row after his remarks during an interview to news agency ANI.
While targeting the prime minister over his allegation that the congress plans to redistribute the nation’s wealth and to take away the property and jewellary if it comes to power, Pitroda said the congress’s manifesto is well -drafted and accused BJP of making stories. The congress ,he said ,has always focused on the people at the bottom of the economic pyramid ,whether they are OBC’s ,Muslims and substantially increased in the last ten years ”,he said.’ ‘This doesn’t mean that you are going to take your wealth and give it to somebody. This means to create new policies so that the concentration of wealth can be prevented. It is like a Monoploy Act ,”he said. He then cited a US example that snowballed into a controversy .”In America ,there is an inheritance tax .If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children ,55% is grabbed by the government .Pitroda said this is a policy issue .”congress party would frame a policy through which the wealth distribution would be better .Soon after the remarks started doing the rounds on social media ,the BJP doubled up on its charge against congress .Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to people to take Mr Pitroda’s remarks seriously .”Their hidden plans have come out in open .People should take note .And congress must withdraw the mention of survey from its manifesto .”he said. In fact the manifesto calls for a nationwide socio-economic and caste census to provide the data foundation for affirmative action ,but does not mention any wealth redistribution plan .The matter gained steam after the PM alleged in election rallies that congress plans to conduct a survey and put into motion a wealth redistribution plan. .He has also claimed that property and jewellary owned by the citizens would be surveyed ,taken away and redistributed.
Pushed into firefighting mood over Pitroda’s remarks ,the congress distanced itself from the senior leaders remarks and stressed that its manifesto does not mention what BJP is alleging. senior leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X ,”Sam Pitroda has been a mentor ,friend ,philosopher and guide to many across the world ,including me .This does not mean that Mr Pitroda’s views are alwaysof congress’s .To cut a long storey short it can be said that there should be no inheritance tax as proposed by Sam Pitroda and talked in the congress manifesto.
(The author is a columnist,social and KP activist)
