Modi symbolises ‘Asatyamev Jayate’, spreads lies, says Congress

The Congress on Thursday (April 25) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of parroting lies in the Lok Sabha election campaign and said he was trying to divert people’s attention from real issues confronting them.

"He (Modi) is trying to take the agenda in another direction. He first tried to give a communal colour to our manifesto and then talked about things that are not there in (it),” the party’s Jairam Ramesh told the media.

“It is propaganda based on lies," the Congress leader added.

Congress on poll trends

Ramesh said the Congress will not play on the pitch prepared by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but "will play on the pitch of issues of unemployment and price rise".

The prime minister, Ramesh said, "symbolises ‘Asatyamev Jayate' – the opposite of ‘Satyamev Jayate’ (Truth Alone Wins).

Ramesh said the trends from the first phase of the Lok Sabha polling on April 19 showed that in some states the BJP has been "wiped out" and in some states its seats were going down as compared to the 2019 battle.

Congress agenda

"It is very clear that due to the policies of Prime Minister Modi, unemployment has increased, price rise is not being reined in and economic inequalities have gone up," he said.

"Ours is a positive agenda. We want to fight the polls on people's issues such as unemployment, price rise, attack on Constitution (and the country’s) institutions."

Religious polarization

Ramesh said Modi had stopped claiming that the BJP will sweep more than 400 Lok Sabha seats and even his favourite 'Modi ki Guarantee' and was using a new language of polarisation.

"Polarisation has always been his weapon but he is using the language of polarisation more brazenly to divert attention,” the Congress veteran said.

Inheritance tax

Ramesh made it clear that there was no mention of inheritance tax in the Congress manifesto and it was not part of the party's agenda.

"Rajiv Gandhi had abolished it in 1985. However, BJP leaders such as Arun Jaitley and Jayant Sinha advocated in favour of inheritance tax. The one who says we (Congress) will bring inheritance tax is wrong and in fact it is the BJP's agenda," Ramesh said.

Wealth distribution

Noting that Modi has claimed that the Congress will redistribute wealth if it comes to power, he said: "I challenge him to show us where wealth redistribution is mentioned in the manifesto. Where have we said we will take away ‘mangalsutras’. The person who did not respect mangalsutra himself is talking about it."

Modi’s policies have led to 21 billionaires accumulate the wealth equivalent to 70 per cent of India’s population, Ramesh said, adding that the Congress believes in inclusive economic development.

Sam Pitroda's remarks

Ramesh's remarks came a day after the prime minister seized on Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remarks on inheritance tax to step up the ruling BJP's attack on the issue of "wealth redistribution".

After Pitorda's remarks on inheritance tax, the Congress distanced itself from the comments of its US-based president of its overseas wing and asserted that it has no intention of introducing such a tax.