A day after he triggered a political backlash by saying that a Congress government would distribute the nation’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, indicating that he meant Muslims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeated on Monday that the Opposition party and INDIA bloc were “eyeing people’s earnings and property”.
During a rally in Rajasthan on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi recalled a statement made by his predecessor Manmohan Singh in 2006 wherein the former PM suggested that minorities, particularly Muslims, should have the first right to the country’s resources.
Addressing a rally in Aligarh, he said: “The Congress shehzaada says that they will get investigated who earns how much, how much property you have, how much money you have, how many houses you have. He further says that the government will take possession of this property and distribute it to everyone… Our mothers and sisters have gold. This is stri dhan, it is considered sacred, the law also protects it. Their eyes are on your mangalsutra.”
PM Modi stated that he had put some truths before the nation during a 90-second segment of his speech in Rajasthan, leading to a stir within the Congress.
PM Modi then warned people that a Congress government will distribute the nation’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, suggesting that he meant Muslims.
He added the grand old party will even “steal the gold and mangalsutras of mothers and sisters”, recalling another statement made by Rahul Gandhi on wealth distribution survey.
While the Congress and its leaders claim that their manifesto does not mention the “Wealth Redistribution Survey,” the BJP is pointing to a video of Rahul Gandhi’s speech on April 6, where he made a similar statement at the manifesto launch event. The Prime Minister is now referencing Gandhi’s statement, asserting that their ‘neta‘ publicly declared their intention to redistribute wealth during a speech.
Modi further escalated his attack by bringing the reservation issue, alleging that the Congress had previously pursued Muslim reservation, casting doubt on their intentions. He claimed that between 2004 and 2010, the Congress in Andhra Pradesh made several attempts to implement reservation for Muslims as a pilot project, with plans for nationwide implementation. “But the Supreme Court did not permit it,” he added.
Taking a jibe, Modi asserted that the Congress intends to give reservation to their “khaas jamaat“, which he said was unconstitutional as it involved reducing SC-ST reservation while allocating a portion to Muslims, benefitting them unfairly.
The controversy surrounding the ‘Wealth Redistribution’ initiative continues to escalate, as senior BJP leaders like Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath demand clarity from the Congress regarding the proposed exercise and the nature of the promised ‘financial and institutional survey’ mentioned by Rahul Gandhi.
Why Congress’s idea can bring Doomsday for India
PM Modi’s attack on Congress’s “wealth redistribution” promises stems from two statements: one made by former PM Manmohan Singh and another by Rahul Gandhi.
In December 2006, Manmohan Singh had spelled out a need to create plans to ensure that minorities, especially Muslims, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development.
Here’s what he said: “I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalised. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the overall resource availability.”
Most recently, Rahul Gandhi said at an election rally in Hyderabad on April 7 that Congress will conduct a nationwide survey if voted to power to ensure that money is distributed to various sections of the society as per their population.
“First, we will conduct a caste census to know the exact population and status of backward castes, SCs, STs, minorities and other castes. After that, the financial and institutional survey will begin. Subsequently, we will take up the historic assignment to distribute the wealth of India, jobs and other welfare schemes to these sections based on their population,” the Congress leader said.
Rahul’s statement was a callback to his own “jitni abadi, utna haq” slogan after the release of the Bihar caste survey data in October 2023. In fact, Rahul has been promising that Congress will conduct financial and economic surveys after a caste census if voted to power.
Well, the Rahul Gandhi’s promise of wealth redistribution may sound noble to few, but this is not practical at all. While the idea itself has been controversial — right from the bloody revolutions of the past century that promised the poor the wealth amassed by the rich to contemporary debates in economics on how to address inequality and poverty.
The Congress and its alliance had done nothing for Muslims and other backward sections, and now they want to survey earnings and wealth of people, including their vehicles, property, and houses to redistribute it in line with a communist ideology. Which is quite illogical and immoral as well.
These ideas will not only create an unrest among the people, social factions, and on religious lines, but it will also create financial chaos in the country.
