"Congress manifesto stamp of Muslim League": PM Modi says it's his responsibility to tell 'truth'

New Delhi [India], April 28 : Labelling the Congress manifesto as the "stamp of the Muslim League", Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an exclusive interview with News18 said that it was his responsibility to bring out the truth of the Congress manifesto in an "unbiased manner" on the basis of "facts."
In an interview with News18, PM Modi asked whether the manifesto of any political party during the elections is just for "showpieces".
"As far as the Congress manifesto is concerned, someone please tell me, are the manifesto of political parties during elections just for showpieces? This is the work of the media to read the manifesto of each and every political party. I was waiting for the media to do it. I had commented on the manifesto on the first day. After seeing the manifesto, I feel that it has the stamp of the Muslim League. Then I thought that the media would be shocked. But they just kept repeating whatever was presented by Congress. Then I thought that this seems to be a big scam of the ecosystem and I will have to bring out the truth. Waited for 10 days for the negative things in the manifesto would be brought out by someone or the other in an unbiased manner, which would've been good. I was forced to bring out these truths. Finally, I bring out the truth," PM Modi said in a part of interview with News18.
Earlier on April 5, the Congress party released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and stressed the economic empowerment of minorities, Congress promised to ensure that banks would provide institutional credit to minorities without discrimination.
The Prime Minister indirectly pointed out Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda's comments on inheritance tax law and said that the BJP-led government is talking about "development and inheritance" and on the other hand Congress is talking about "plundering."
"You see when one of their 'greats' gave an interview in America where he brought up the issue of inheritance tax, about 55 per that inheritance tax on your property. I am talking about development and inheritance and on the other hand, they (Congress) are talking of plundering. Their history till date is about doing what they have mentioned in the manifesto. It is my responsibility to tell the countrymen that they are taking the country in this direction. Now you decide whether you want to go or not. But it is my responsibility that on the basis of facts and importance, it should be told and I am doing that," he said in an interview with News18
Earlier, Sam Pitroda emphasized the need for policy toward wealth redistribution, Pitroda spoke about the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America and said these are issues that will need to be discussed.
"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda had said.
"In India, you don't have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing...So these are the kinds of issues people will have to debate and discuss. When we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of the super-rich only," he had further said.
In India, the concept of levying tax on inheritance does not exist as of now. In fact, the Inheritance or Estate Tax was abolished with effect from 1985.