NEW DELHI: A huge political row has erupted over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech that the Congress manifesto promised that the party will redistribute wealth among ‘infiltrators’, if it comes to power.
While the opposition parties are up in arms about the PM's speech and had approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking action, the controversy has turned the spotlight on the Congress election manifesto, which was released on April 5.
“I want to warn the countrymen. Congress and the INDI alliance have their eyes on your earnings and your property. The 'Shehzada' of Congress says that if their government comes to power, they will investigate who earns how much, who has how many properties...Our mothers and sisters have gold. It is 'stree dhan', it is considered sacred, and the law also protects it. Now these people's eyes are on the 'Mangalsutra' of women. Their intention is to steal the gold of mothers and sisters.If you have an old ancestor's home in your village and you also purchased a small flat in your city for the future of your children. Then they will take away one of the two,” said Prime Minister Modi during an election rally in Aligarh.
On Sunday, Modi made similar claims during a rally in Rajasthan's Banswara. To buttress his claims, Modi also referred to former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's assets.
The Congress, which has contested the PM’s claims that the party says so in its manifesto, has said it will approach the Election Commission demanding action against Modi. It has also said that its chief Mallikarjun Kharge has sought an appointment with Modi to “educate him” on the Congress manifesto.
This is not the first time that Modi is attacking Congress for its promises made in the manifesto.
Just a day after the Congress released the manifesto, the PM attacked it saying that the manifesto "completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League".
"Congress issued a bundle of lies in its manifesto every page reeks of attempts to tear India apart. It reflects the thoughts the Muslim League had before independence," the PM had said during a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur.
On Wealth distribution
Recalibrating its strategies for the 2024 elections, the Congress manifesto hinges prominently on the themes of ‘social justice and equity’.
In the manifesto, the party has promised to conduct a Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.
If the Opposition alliance comes to power, the party also pledged to pass a constitutional amendment to remove the Supreme Court-mandated 50 percent cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The Congress’s poll strategy in the recent assembly elections also revolved around the plank of caste census and social justice, though it did not resonate with the electorate.
"We will first conduct a nationwide caste census to determine how many people belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and minorities. After that, we will conduct a financial and institutional survey in a historic step to ascertain the distribution of wealth," Rahul Gandhi had said during the release of the manifesto in Telangana.
Gandhi’s renewed call to expand caste quotas and surveys for wealth redistribution has sparked debate with many seeking clarity on his proposal. However, Praveen Chakravarty, a key member of the manifesto committee dismissed such arguments as ‘ludicrous’.
Sharing a video message in X, Chakravarty said that Gandhi was referring to a more philosophical idea 'Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq' (rights proportional to population). “The Congress has nowhere in the 48-page manifesto mentioned that we will take away someone’s wealth and give it to someone else. It’s bizarre to even say that. We do not want to get into anyone’s house. It is the BJP who has been doing it,” he said
“Rahul Gandhi’s question was “shouldn’t we aspire for a society that is representative in the rewards and the benefits as per identity?. Now we can have a legitimate debate on that. Is it utopian or not utopian or is it too idealistic or pragmatic. Mr Gandhi believes it can be aspired for. It does not mean barging into someone’s house and taking their wealth away,” said Chakravarty.
On BJP’s Muslim League imprint claim
While PM Modi and the BJP have been attacking the Congress over the Muslim League imprint in the manifesto, the Congress leaders challenge the BJP to find a single reference to ‘Hindu or ‘Muslim in the document.
The manifesto is also silent on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA),a dominant political issue in the 2024 general elections.
On minorities, the manifesto said, “We will encourage reform of personal laws. Such reform must be undertaken with the participation and consent of the communities concerned.”
The party also promises “not to interfere with personal choices of food and dress, to love and marry, and to travel and reside in any part of India.”
It adds that all existing laws and rules which “interfere unreasonably with personal freedoms will be repealed.”
On the upliftment of minorities, it said, “the economic empowerment of minorities is a necessary step for India to realise its full potential” and promises to “ensure that banks will provide institutional credit to minorities without discrimination”.
we will ensure that the minorities receive their fair share of opportunities in education, healthcare, public employment, public works contracts, skill development, sports and cultural activities without discrimination”.
Responding to the Muslim League barbs, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had responded "everyone knows how Syama Prasad Mookerjee formed his governments in Bengal, Sindh, and NWFP (North West Frontier Province) in the 1940s in coalition with the Muslim League"."Modi-Shah's political and ideological ancestors supported the British and Muslim League against the Indians in the freedom struggle."
