The Congress party clarified its taxation promises for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections manifesto, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of their proposal for an inheritance tax. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram refuted Modi's claims, stating that the term "inheritance tax" was not in the manifesto
The Congress party on Sunday offered more clarifications with regards to its promises on taxation in the party's 2024 Lok Sabha Elections manifesto, and targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raking up the inheritance tax suggestion by Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda and linking it to the party manifesto.
Without mentioning Sam Pitroda's name, Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram took to social media platform X to state, "The Hon'ble Prime Minister continues to discover and read in the Congress' Manifesto words and sentences that are not there! He has imagined a Congress' Manifesto written by one of his ghost speech writers. The phrase 'inheritance tax' does not occur anywhere in the Manifesto."
Chidambaram further clarified his party's promises on taxation in his post. He said, "The Congress' promises on taxation are quite clear: 1. Bring an era of transparency, equity, clarity and impartial tax administration of Direct Taxes; 2. Maintain stable personal income tax rates for the term of 5 years; 3. Lessen the burden of tax on MSMEs; 4. End the duplicitous 'cess' Raj of the Modi government; 5. Shopkeepers and retail businesses will be given significant tax relief; 6. GST 2.0 will be introduced."
Lashing out at the Prime Minister, Chidambaram said: "It is disappointing to see the Hon'ble PM fight imaginary ghosts. He should debate the 'real' issues included in the Congress' Manifesto."
To note, PM Modi has been firing one salvo after another at the Congress over the inheritance tax issue. During an election rally in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party's recent proposal regarding inheritance, stating that it would limit the ability of individuals to fully pass on their accumulated wealth to their children. He referred to the Congress's plan as a formula that would prevent people from bequeathing their land and property entirely to their children by imposing an inheritance tax on ancestral property.
Earlier in the week, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress had remarked that those who label themselves as patriots were apprehensive about the "X-ray of caste census." Responding to this, PM Modi likened the Congress's intentions to a medical procedure, suggesting that they aimed to seize people's jewellery and small savings by scrutinizing their properties and valuables like an X-ray.
The Prime Minister also highlighted an incident involving the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's estate, mentioning a law that allegedly mandated half of her wealth to go to the government upon her passing. He indicated that discussions at the time suggested that Indira Gandhi's wealth would be willed to her son, Rajiv Gandhi.