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Journalism of Courage
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”.
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.”
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.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, the chairman of the party’s manifesto committee, flayed PM Modi remarks as “outrageous”. “Each sentence outdid the previous sentence in its absolute falsehood and brazen mendacity. Will the BJP tell the world: a) when and where did the Congress say that we will distribute people’s land, gold and other valuables among Muslims? b) when and where did the Congress say that a survey will be conducted to value the property of individuals, gold held by women and silver owned by tribal families? c) when and where did the Congress say that land and cash belonging to government employees will also be distributed?”, he posted on X.
Chidambaram said Modi had also falsely quoted PM Manmohan Singh’s speech of December 2006 as saying that Muslims had “the first right on the country’s resources”. Referring to The Indian Express report on Monday, he said: “Dr Singh had said that the first claim on resources lies with SC, ST, OBC, minorities, women and children.”
The Congress manifesto makes no specific mention of wealth redistribution but promises that, if voted to power, the party will “address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies”. The first chapter of the manifesto titled “equity” talks about “caste discrimination” as a “reality” and argues that “while OBC, SC and ST constitute nearly 70 per cent of India’s population, their representation in high-ranking professions, services and businesses is disproportionately low”.
It then promises to “conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions” and says “based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action”.
As for minorities, it says “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”.
Besides, it says, “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”.
Rahul has often spoken about the need to hold a caste census followed by economic mapping, including during this election campaign. On March 9, he put out a tweet saying the caste survey conducted in Bihar revealed that 88% of the poor come from Dalit, tribal, backward and minority communities, adding: “The figures that have come from Bihar are just a small glimpse of the real picture of the country. We do not even have an idea about the conditions in which the poor population of the country is living. That is why we are going to take two historic steps – caste count, economic mapping, on the basis of which we will uproot the 50 per cent cap on reservation.”
The same month, during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul promised to hold financial and economic surveys after a caste census if the Congress was voted to power. “Caste census and economic and financial surveys… these are revolutionary steps. The Congress will include these in our manifesto,” he said, addressing a rally in tribal-dominated Nandurbar district of Maharashtra on March 12.
On April 6, releasing the Congress manifesto in Hyderabad, Rahul said a caste census would let the backward classes, Dalits, tribals and poor among the general castes, as well as minorities, know “what is their share in this country (is desh main unki bagidaari kitni hai)”.
He added: “We will hold a financial and institutional survey after that. Yeh pata lagayenge ki Hindustan ka dhan kiske hathon mein hai, kaun se varg ke haath mein hai. Aur is aitihasik kadam ke baad hum krantikari kaam shuru karenge… Jo aapka haq banta jai, woh hum aapke liye aapko dene ka kaam karenge (We will find out who holds the country’s wealth, what class of people. And after this historic step, we will take revolutionary measures… What is your right, we will ensure we get it for you).”
The Congress leader constantly talks of wealth getting concentrated in the hands of a few, particularly the Adani and Ambani Groups, under the Modi government.
