As the days march on, the fervor of Lok Sabha's election campaign only grows more intense. On Sunday, in Rajasthan's Banswara, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a vehement attack on Congress, accusing it of angling to distribute wealth among minorities, a move that escalated the political tug-of-war between BJP and Congress.
During the rally in Banswara, PM Modi alleged that a Congress-led government would partition public wealth among the minorities.
Now, the claim has stirred up a new political storm, with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi asserting that the Prime Minister's lies have sunk to such a level that, in his panic, he's trying to deflect from the public's issues. Furthermore, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has even requested a meeting with PM Modi, reportedly to present Congress's manifesto to him.
Nevertheless, the accusation Modi mentioned in his rally speech is conspicuously absent from the actual Congress manifesto. It's worth noting, however, that Rahul Gandhi did indeed propose a survey of properties. Let's delve into this political maelstrom's full story.
What did PM Modi say exactly?
Addressing an election rally in Banswara, PM Modi stated that if Congress comes to power, they would seize people's properties to distribute among those with large families and infiltrators.
Modi claimed, 'When they were governing, they said that Muslims have a priority claim over the nation's wealth. What does this mean? Who will they distribute this accumulated wealth to? To those with numerous offspring. To the infiltrators. Will your hard-earned money be given to infiltrators? Do you approve of this?'
He continued, 'This Congress manifesto states they will take stock of gold owned by our mothers and sisters. They want to know its details and then distribute it. And to those whom the Manmohan Singh government declared have the primary right over wealth - the Muslims. Brothers and sisters, such urban Naxal thinking won't even spare your mangalsutra; they'll go to such lengths.'
What does the Congress manifesto say?
Congress unveiled its 'Nyay Patra' manifesto on April 5th. Nowhere in it is there a mention of distributing property.
The manifesto contains a chapter titled 'Equity Justice', which states, 'The Congress Party has been the most vocal defender for the past seven decades of the rights and interests of society's backward, deprived, suffering, and oppressed classes and castes. Congress has persistently strived for their advancement. Yet, caste-based discrimination remains a grim reality in our society. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes constitute roughly 70% of the nation's population, but their representation in quality jobs, business, and higher positions is significantly low. No modern society should tolerate such inequalities, discrimination, and lack of opportunities based on birth.'
The manifesto promises a nationwide socioeconomic caste census to identify the statuses of various castes and sub-castes. With the data gathered from this census, Congress plans proactive measures to improve their conditions.
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So where did the property distribution narrative originate?
Indeed, this entire narrative emerged from a statement by Rahul Gandhi. However, Gandhi too didn't explicitly mention distributing property. He affirmed that a government under them would conduct a survey to ascertain the amount of wealth individuals possess.
The manifesto launch had Rahul stating, 'In India, 50% of the population belongs to the backward class, 15% to Dalits, 8% to tribals, 15% to minorities, and 5% to the financially disadvantaged general caste. Combine these, and more than 90% of the population is accounted for. Yet, when you look at the institutions of India, the big companies, you won't find any of their representation.'
Rahul promised that upon their governance, they'd implement a caste census across the country, transparently laying bare the socio-economic landscape. 'We will conduct a financial and institutional survey to determine who holds India's wealth. Following this historic step, we will begin transformative work. We will deliver what rightfully belongs to you, whether it's in the media, bureaucracy, or any of India's institutions, securing your rightful participation,' he declared.
