New Delhi: BJP on Wednesday slammed senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda for his "inheritance tax" remark saying "the intentions of Congress are dangerous and it wants to destroy the heritage of India".
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, BJP National Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said "Congress party wants heritage, but wants to snatch the heritage of the people. Congress guarantees to destroy both life and property. In 2004, Congress had removed POTA".
Sam Pitroda reportedly advocated an inheritance tax in India for wealth redistribution.
He said that in the United States, there is an inheritance tax according to which the US government is entitled to claim 55 per cent share of a person's wealth while the owner can transfer only 45 per cent share to his children or family.
Criticizing the Pitroda's remarks for redistribution of wealth, Trivedi said India is a savings based economy...The basic mantra of India is that one generation earns, the second generation increases it and then the third generation gets some happiness from it".
The BJP Spokesperson added that, "Congress wants to snatch away that happiness and peace of the people".
"There is a 45 percent tax abroad. The condition of the dollar is deteriorating. The world is moving towards hard currency, i.e. gold. People in India buy the most gold in the world and Congress wants to tax it. If this happens, then Congress's loot will continue"
However, Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, clarified on Wednesday that his statement on US inheritance tax was twisted to ‘deflect attention’ from the core issues.
Congress is also distancing itself over these remarks, saying the party has "no intentions" as such.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, however, said that there is a constitution in the country and the party does not have any such intention.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is playing all these games just for votes.
The remark during the Lok Sabha 2024 Election have sparked a political row with Prime Minister linking these comments to Rahul Gandhi and alleged that the grand old party's “dangerous intentions" in the election manifesto were coming out in the open.
