Modi makes new claim on why ‘Rajiv Gandhi scrapped inheritance tax after Indira’s death’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now claimed that former PM Rajiv Gandhi abolished the inheritance tax after his mother Indira Gandhi’s death in 1984 to prevent her wealth from going to the government and that the Congress wants to bring it back.

Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena, where voting will take place on May 7, the BJP’s star campaigner on Thursday (April 25) escalated his attack on the grand old party and vowed to protect people from what he called the rival party’s “plans to loot” them.

Modi also accused the Congress of “cutting off the country’s hands” by accepting Partition on the basis of religion.

Modi’s claim

“I want to put forth an interesting fact. When sister Indira Gandhi passed away, there was a law by virtue of which half of the wealth used to go to the government. There were talks then that Indiraji willed her wealth in her son Rajiv Gandhi’s name,” Modi told the gathering.

“To prevent the money from going to the government, the then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi abolished the inheritance tax,” he claimed. Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1985.

Pitroda’s remark

Latching on to controversial remarks on the issue made by US-based senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda, the PM warned voters that if the Congress comes to power, it will snatch more than half of people’s earnings through inheritance tax.

An adviser to the opposition party’s “shehzada” (referring to Rahul Gandhi) has now suggested the imposition of an inheritance tax, Modi said, seizing on Pitroda’s remarks.

Modi’s warning

A day after MP Rahul Gandhi remarked that those who call themselves “deshbhakt” (patriots) are scared of a caste census, Modi said the Congress wants to confiscate people’s jewellery and small savings by conducting an “X-ray” of their properties and valuables.

He claimed that the Congress wants to bring back the inheritance tax now that its four generations have reaped the benefit of the wealth passed on to them.

But the BJP will not allow such designs to succeed, the PM assured the crowd. “The wealth that you have accumulated by working hard and enduring hardships will be looted from you once a Congress-led government is formed,” he said.

“Modi, with his 56-inch chest, is standing as a wall between you and the Congress’s plan to loot you. That is why Congress leaders and the Opposition abuse me so much,” the PM said.

On Partition

He accused the Congress of accepting Partition of the country on religious lines.

“Instead of unshackling the hands of Maa Bharti, the Congress cut off her hands and divided the country,” Modi alleged.

The Congress wants to snatch the reservation of SCs/STs/OBCs for the sake of its Muslim vote-bank and was bent on grabbing power with religious appeasement, the PM said.

“The Congress says Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources, while I say the poor have the first right to them,” Modi emphasised.

“Kaamdar” vs “naamdar”

Describing himself as “kaamdar” (working class) and Rahul Gandhi as “naamdar” (dynast), the PM said, “Nowadays, the shehzada (prince) of the Congress is enjoying abusing Modi. We are there to listen to the abuses from the ‘naamdaars’ but I will continue serving the people and Maa Bharti… For years, the Congress did not allow the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme for armed forces personnel, but we did it (implemented the scheme),” the PM noted.

The Congress has been hatching a conspiracy to deprive tribals and backward classes of their rights, the BJP stalwart said. “Will you ensure a total washout of those snatching the rights of backward classes?” he asked the gathering, calling for a defeat of the Congress in the ongoing polls.

The BJP government has been providing free rations to 80 crore people without any discrimination, Modi said. “Have you ever heard someone is not getting free ration because he is a Muslim?” the PM asked.

On reservation for Muslims

When the Constitution was drafted, it was decided that reservation in jobs and education won’t be given along religious lines. BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, was against quota along religious lines, but the Congress gave it through the backdoor and “stabbed” him in the back, Modi alleged.

Further targeting the Congress, Modi said it has clandestinely put many Muslims illegally in the OBC category in Karnataka, where the grand old party is in power.

Providing reservation to Muslims was unlawful and against the Constitution, he said.

The Andhra model

When a Congress-led government was formed at the Centre, it first introduced religion-based quota in Andhra Pradesh, Modi said, adding that the party “wants to implement this model (of reservation) throughout the country”.

“On December 19, 2011, the Congress brought a note in the Cabinet on religion basis. The note said a portion of 27 per cent reservation given to OBCs should be cut out and given on religious lines,” the PM stressed.

“The Congress, by snatching the rights of OBCs, wants to give reservation to strengthen its favourite vote-bank,” he claimed.

The Congress manifesto talks about religion-based quota in jobs and education and the document is influenced by pro-Partition Muslim League, Modi alleged.

(With agency inputs)