Narendra Modi cites Rajiv Gandhi to up ante on inheritance tax, Rahul seeks votes to ‘save Constitution’

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, April 25

Tempers and temperatures both ran high on the eve of the second phase elections for 88 Lok Sabha segments across 13 states and UTs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leading the charge for their parties.

While the PM upped the ante on the inheritance tax issue saying his late predecessor Rajiv Gandhi of the Congress abolished the practice in 1985 “only to avoid paying duty on massive inheritance from his mother Indira Gandhi”, Wayanad MP Rahul, in a video message, urged the voters to “save the Constitution and democracy by supporting the INDIA bloc on Friday”. He defended the Congress manifesto, which the BJP has called a “Muslim League document”.

Top saffron party leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, today issued their own versions of “Save the Constitution” appeals to voters, mainly flagging past and potential future attempts by the rival Congress to introduce religion-based reservation, which the Constitution prohibits.

Stakes running high, insults, expletives and censures continued to fly thick and fast all day, with Rajnath, speaking in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri, saying: “The Congress, like dinosaurs, will soon be extinct.”

In MP’s Morena, Modi targeted Rahul for “insulting utterances” aimed at the sitting PM. Rahul had yesterday accused the PM of resorting to lies when confronted with the truth. “The anxious Congress prince (read Rahul) enjoys hurling insults at Modi these days. I am watching people across social media platforms expressing anguish over the level of discourse targeted at the PM. My prayer to these people is to not feel sad. They (Gandhis) are ‘naamdaars’ (elite dynasts) and we are ‘kaamdaars’ (workers). Dynasts have abused and slighted workers for centuries. I am one of you. I have seen poverty. Few abuses won’t matter,” Modi said.

In the same speech, the PM reiterated his inheritance tax charge. “At the time of Indira Gandhi’s demise, a law mandated the government to take away half the wealth anyone inherited. To avoid paying to the government, then PM Rajiv abolished the inheritance tax. But now, the Congress wants to reinforce that same tax more forcefully, having ensured that four generations of its first family accomplished what they had to,” the PM said, again raking up Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda’s Wednesday suggestion that Indians should discuss the American model of inheritance tax to let part of people’s willed assets go to the state.

The Congress had on Wednesday said it was Rajiv Gandhi who had abolished the Estate Duty Act, 1953, which top BJP leaders like Jayant Sinha and late Arun Jaitley advocated later.

As rival camps traded barbs, Rahul, in the video message, sought to present the Congress manifesto as “the people’s manifesto”. “The BJP and the RSS are trying to destroy democracy and the Constitution… the Congress and INDIA bloc are trying to save these.... We walked over 4,000 km and after speaking with the people, we prepared a revolutionary manifesto. This is your manifesto, your voice,” Rahul said, defending the Congress’ ‘Nyay Patra’, which has witnessed a concerted attack by the BJP.

The shrillness of the campaign ahead of the second phase signalled the tensions on both sides. While the Congress, having won the maximum seats from Kerala in 2019, must defend the UDF’s 19 on 20-seat tally when the entire state goes to the polls in a single phase on Friday, the BJP’s southern push will be tested in Kerala and also Karnataka.

Tempers run high on Ph-2 poll eve

Ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi abolished the estate tax to himself avoid paying it after inheriting mother’s wealth. — Narendra Modi, PM

BJP and RSS trying to destroy democracy and Constitution… Congress and INDIA bloc trying to save these. — Rahul Gandhi, Cong

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#Congress #Lok Sabha #Narendra Modi #Rahul Gandhi