New Delhi | The BJP on Wednesday launched an all-out attack on the Congress over Sam Pitroda's "inheritance tax" remarks, alleging he has exposed the party's "nefarious design" of taking away common people's wealth and property.
The BJP's accusation came after Pitroda, the president of the Indian Overseas Congress, talked about "inheritance tax in the United States" on the Congress' "redistribution of wealth" issue.
Latching on to his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "Sam Pitroda has elaborated the nefarious design of the Congress. We are a saving based economy. In India, one generation (of a family) earns by doing hard work.
The second generation builds on that and then the third generation gets some comfort." "And, the Congress wants to snatch away that happiness and peace from the people with Sam Pitroda talking about imposing tax on gold," he charged.
"People in India purchase gold as their savings and even those who are poor say there should be gold. And you want to impose 45 percent tax on them (gold)," Trivedi added.
The Congress distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks, alleging that sensationalising them are attempts at diverting attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "malicious" poll campaign.
"By doing an X-ray of the Congress' manifesto, their high tech guru Sam Pitroda has made it clear that both the lives and wealth of the people of the country are in danger. You want to take away the wealth of people from them," the BJP spokesperson hit back, saying the Congress can hide its "nefarious intentions" now.
He also alleged that the Congress' manifesto was influenced by foreign forces.
"Understand how big the danger is. The Communist party, a prominent constituent of INDI alliance, says it will dismantle India's nuclear weapons and Congress says it will stanch away from you the little 'dhan and anna (wealth and food) that you have at home,' Trivedi charged, exhorting people to seriously ponder over the issue.
With his remarks triggering a row, Pitroda said on X that "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 the PM is spreading about the Congress manifesto.
PM's comments on Mangal Sutra 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," he said.
"Who said 55 percent will be taken away? Who said something like this should be done in India? Why is BJP and media in panic," Pitroda asked.
Attacking the Congress over Pitroda's remarks, Modi said at a rally in Chhattisgarh, "The Congress party's dangerous intentions have come to fore yet again. Now these people are saying they will impose inheritance tax on properties bequeathed to children by their parents."
Home Minister Amit Shah also flayed Pitroda's remarks, saying "The appeasement politics of the Congress stand exposed today with Sam Pitroda's statement on wealth redistribution. He reaffirmed the party's intention to seize the property of the majority and distribute it among the minority." "It yet again brings to the fore that the empowerment of India's poor, Dalits, youth, tribes, and backward classes was never on Congress's agenda," he said on X.