Congress will distribute your wealth | PM Modi warns
Introduction
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks about the Congress party’s manifesto have sparked controversy and triggered a political row. Many have labeled his comments as “hate speech.” The prime minister claimed that if the Congress were to come to power, they would redistribute wealth among those “with more children.” He also cited former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh‘s disputed remarks that Muslims had the first claim on the country’s resources. In this article, we will fact check what the Congress manifesto, called ‘Nyay Patra,’ actually says about wealth redistribution.
Congress Manifesto: ‘Nyay Patra’ and Wealth Redistribution
The Congress manifesto, ‘Nyay Patra,’ released on April 5, does not explicitly mention wealth redistribution. Prime Minister Modi’s remarks appear to be a response to several different factors that are loosely connected but not directly mentioned in the manifesto.
Rahul Gandhi, Wealth Redistribution, and Caste Census
On April 6, a day after the manifesto release, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a speech in Hyderabad where he promised a “financial and institutional survey” for the redistribution of the country’s wealth and jobs. This redistribution, according to Gandhi, would follow the Congress party’s promised caste census.
The Congress manifesto does indeed talk about conducting a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and understand their socio-economic conditions. Based on this data, the manifesto promises to strengthen the agenda for affirmative action. However, it does not explicitly mention redistributing wealth based on any survey, as mentioned by Rahul Gandhi in his speech.
Ex-PM Manmohan Singh’s Disputed Speech
Prime Minister Modi also invoked an old statement made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006, where he reportedly said that “Muslims should have the first right” to the country’s resources. However, the then Prime Minister’s Office clarified that Singh meant the “first claim on resources” would be for SCs, STs, OBCs, women, and children, as well as minorities.
The reference to Manmohan Singh’s statement is not directly related to wealth redistribution but rather an attempt to highlight the Congress party’s stance on resource allocation.
Why did the Prime Minister imply that Rahul Gandhi was discussing looking into people’s assets?
Throughout this election campaign and beyond, Rahul has frequently discussed the necessity of conducting a caste census and then economic mapping. He tweeted on March 9 that 88% of the impoverished came from Dalit, tribal, backward, and minority communities, according to a caste census done in Bihar. He further added, “The figures that have come from Bihar are just a small glimpse of the real picture of the country.” We don’t even know what living circumstances the nation’s impoverished people is in. For this reason, we plan to implement two historic measures: the economic mapping and caste census, which will serve as the foundation for eliminating the 50% restriction on reservations.
In the same month, Rahul pledged that if the Congress was elected to power, he would conduct economic and financial surveys following a caste census as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. “Caste censuses and financial and economic surveys are revolutionary measures. “The Congress will incorporate these into our platform,” he declared on March 12 while speaking at a rally in Maharashtra’s tribal-majority Nandurbar district.
“After that, we’ll have a financial and institutional survey,” he continued. Hindustan ki dhan kiske hathon mein hai, yeh pata lagayenge ki varg ke haath mein hai. But it’s not like that in real life. It’s more like a dream come true. Jo haq banta jai, woh hum aapke liye aapko dene ka kaam karenge (We shall discover what class of individuals owns the nation’s riches). And following this momentous move, we’re going to do something innovative. Whichever your right is, we’ll make sure to get it for you.
Nyay Patra Promises on Wealth
The Congress manifesto does address the issue of wealth and the increasing inequality between the rich and the poor in the country. In the introduction section, the manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra,’ acknowledges the rising inequality and its impact on the goals of equality, equity, and social and economic justice.
The manifesto references a report titled “Income and Wealth Inequality in India, 1922-2023: The Rise of the Billionaire Raj” by global economists, including Thomas Piketty, which highlights the increasing inequality in India under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. The Congress manifesto pledges to address this growing wealth and income inequality through suitable policy changes.
Conclusion
While Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks about wealth redistribution in the Congress manifesto have sparked controversy, the manifesto itself does not explicitly mention such a policy. The remarks seem to be in response to different factors, including Rahul Gandhi’s speech on wealth redistribution after a caste census and the disputed statement made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding resource allocation. The Congress manifesto does address the issue of wealth inequality in the country and promises suitable policy changes to tackle it.
