'PM Modi rattled, panicked by Congress' krantikari manifesto': Rahul Gandhi amid inheritance tax row (WATCH)
"So did you like the Congress manifesto? You must have seen that the PM has panicked, he is rattled and scared. It is a krantikari (revolutionary) manifesto," Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday.
FollowIn the midst of the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment alleging that the Congress would redistribute people's properties if elected to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that PM Modi appears rattled by the party's election manifesto.
"So did you like the Congress manifesto? You must have seen that the PM has panicked, he is rattled and scared. It is a krantikari (revolutionary) manifesto," Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the Social Justice Convention of Samruddh Bharat Foundation that was attended by representatives of 102 SC, ST and OBC organizations from across the country in New Delhi.
In response to the controversy surrounding the Congress' purported intention to redistribute wealth if elected, Rahul stated that his statement pertained solely to advocating for a caste census to assess the status of 90 percent of India's population.
“All I said was that an X-ray of our society needs to be done to ascertain the condition of 90 per cent of India’s population. Any patriot would welcome this because what I am proposing is meant to strengthen the country. Ironically, those who call themselves patriots, like Narendra Modi, opposed the X-ray,” he said.
Rahul questioned why the Prime Minister, who had identified as an OBC for the past few years, now portrays himself as casteless.
“For all these years, Modi called himself an OBC. But the moment I talked about caste census, Modi said he has no caste. If Modi has no caste, then how is he an OBC? Modi says there are only two castes – Rich and Poor. So I ask, how many rich individuals among Dalit, Adivasi, or OBC?” the Congress leader added.
Rahul emphasized the importance of addressing income inequality by advocating for providing Rs 16 lakh crore in loans and tax waivers to the poor.
“Ensuring caste census is my life’s mission. Politics may have compromises, but a life mission can never have a compromise. Our manifesto gives a political direction for the X-ray. For correcting income inequality, we have calculated and proposed that a fraction of the money that Modi has given to the rich - Rs 16 lakh crore in loans and tax write offs - should be given to the poor. I have not said give all the money, but at least give a fraction of the money to them," he added.
“BJP’s mission is to erase the history of the backwards and the poor. They want to cut you off from your past. There were people like Phule and Ambedkar who gave their whole life for a cause, but no one remembers them. Their history is being erased. You – Dalit, backwards, tribals, minorities – had a central role in the freedom struggle, but you find no mention. We have to revive your history," the Gandhi scion remarked attacking the BJP.
Rahul issued a warning to the BJP, cautioning that any attempt to obstruct the caste census would only result in its resurgence with greater momentum. He pledged that the Congress would prioritize the caste census as its primary agenda upon assuming power. Accusing the BJP of deflecting attention from substantive issues, Rahul noted that OBCs, Dalits, and tribals are now posing crucial questions to the government.
“The problem with such a tactic is that diversion does not last very long. Today the OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis, are asking – the Ram Mandir has been built, but we didn’t see any OBC there. The new Parliament was inaugurated, but we didn’t see any of us there. The country’s President is a tribal, but she isn’t invited to the inauguration of the Ram Mandir or the new Parliament,” he said.
Earlier today, PM Modi slammed the Congress, saying the "vote bank hungry" party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion. Speaking at a campaign rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi accused the Congress of seeking to implement inheritance tax in the nation, which he claimed would deprive people's children of their rights.
"Today when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," PM Modi said.
He stated that during the drafting of the Constitution, under the guidance of Babasaheb Ambedkar, it was decided that there would be no reservations based on religion in India.
"If there will be reservation then it will be for by Dalit brothers and sisters and tribal brothers and sisters," he said.
"But the vote bank hungry Congress never cared about the words of the great personalities, sanctity of the Constitution and the words of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Years ago, the Congress made an attempt to implement reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress has planned to implement it in the entire country," PM Modi added.
He further mentioned that there were discussions about implementing a 15 percent reservation based on religion, which would be accomplished by reducing the quotas of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
Referring to the Congress's past manifestos, he highlighted that their intention remained consistent, with the 2009 manifesto indicating the same inclination, and the 2014 manifesto explicitly stating their commitment to this cause.
The Prime Minister accused the Congress of aiming to amend the Constitution to cater to its vote bank, thereby jeopardizing the rights of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
He criticized the Congress's intentions, asserting that they deviate from the principles of the Constitution, social justice, and secularism. He assured the audience that the BJP stands as the safeguard for their reservation rights.
"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.
Do you know to whom they will distribute it after "looting" it from you? PM Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative.
"I need not to tell you to whom they will distribute," he added.
PM Modi further said the "dangerous intentions" of Congress are coming to forth one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.
"The advisor of shehzada of the shahi parivar, who was also the advisor to the shehzada's father, had said that more tax should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by toiling hard. Now the Congress says it will impose inheritance tax. It will impose tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the panja (Congress poll symbol) will snatch the assets from your children," he said without taking any name.
The Congress' mantra is "loot of Congress zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi", he said.
"They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children," Modi added.
