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'PM Modi, BJP leaders trying to mislead and scare people with lies': Priyanka counters attack over 'wealth survey, inheritance tax'

NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Modi and top BJP leaders of lying to people and attempting to mislead and scare them. "From the behaviour of top BJP leaders, it appears that the elections are not going as per their expectations. They are raking up irrelevant issues instead of talking about the issues that concern the common man. If they had worked for the people in the last 10 years, they would have spoken about their accomplishments in the field of health, education," Priyanka Gandhi said. "Every morning they are raising a new issue which has no connection with the common man. They have stooped to such a level that they are manufacturing issues, lying to people and trying to mislead and scare them," she added. "All this has intensified after the first phase of voting. It seems to me that the trends are not in their favour and hence they are resorting to such tactics," Priyanka claimed. Prime Minister Modi and other BJP leaders have been relentless in their attacks against the Congress over its manifesto pitch of undertaking socio-economic and caste survey, distribution of govt land and surplus land to the poor and address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies. PM Modi in his election speeches has warned people about Congress's plan to conduct wealth survey and take away the assets and gold of people to redistribute it to the Muslims. The grand old party has denied these claims and has accused Prime Minister of misleading the electorate.

'PM Modi, BJP leaders trying to mislead and scare people with lies': Priyanka counters attack over 'wealth survey, inheritance tax'

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister opened another front to attack the Congress after its leader Sam Pitroda spoke about the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America emphasizing the need for policy toward wealth redistribution. "In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million 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. "The grand old party's "dangerous intentions" of snatching the assets and rights of people have come to the fore. The Congress will loot and equally distribute people's earnings and properties," PM claimed while addressing an election rally in Ambikapur, the headquarter of Surguja district, in Chhattisgarh. The PM said the Congress's mantra is of "loot zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi." "Now they (Congress) have gone a step further and Congress is saying it will impose inheritance tax. It will impose tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the 'panja' (Congress poll symbol) will snatch the assets from your children," the PM said without taking any name. The Congress has distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks calling it. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher, and guide to many across the world, and has made numerous and enduring contributions to India's developments. "Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about. Surely, in a democracy an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views. "This does not mean that Mr. Pitroda's views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not. Sensationalising his comments now and tearing them out of context are deliberate and desperate attempts at diverting attention away from Mr. Narendra Modi's malicious and mischievous election campaign; that is anchored only in lies and more lies," Ramesh said in a post on X.