‘Asatyamev Jayate’ is symbolised by PM Modi, who is deflecting attention from important issues: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to identify the exact place in the party platform where the term “redistribution of wealth” is stated, accusing him of spreading “lies” to deflect attention from important concerns in the Lok Sabha elections.

According to Jairam Ramesh, general secretary of the Congress, PM Modi “symbolises Asatyamev Jayate.”

Speaking at a news conference at the AICC headquarters in this city, Ramesh said that the Congress “will play on the pitch of issues of unemployment and price rise” rather than the one the BJP had planned.

According to Ramesh, the patterns from the first round of the Lok Sabha elections indicate that, in comparison to the 2019 polls, the BJP has been “wiped out” in certain states and is losing seats in others.

“PM Modi is attempting to veer the topic off course. Having attempted to give our manifesto a collective color, he proceeded to discuss topics not covered in the ‘Nyay Patra’. It is false propaganda, according to Ramesh.

“He is giving publicity to our manifesto, though it is wrong publicity,” he said.

According to him, the Nyay Patra is derived from the opinions expressed by participants in both the Bharat Jodo and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatras.

“It is very clear that due to the policies of Prime Minister Modi, unemployment has increased, price rise is not being reined in and economic inequalities have gone up,” he said.

He said that the Congress will contest the Lok Sabha elections on the platforms of Nari Nyay, Yuva Nyay, Kisaan Nyay, Shramik Nyay, and Hissedari Nyay.

“We have a constructive agenda. We want to combat public opinion surveys on matters that affect people, such joblessness, inflation, attacks on the Constitution, and institutions,” he said.

Ramesh said that Modi is adopting a new vocabulary of divisiveness and has ceased using phrases like “400 paar” and “Modi Ki Guarantee.”

Ramesh said, “He has always used polarization as a weapon, but he is utilizing the terminology of polarization more blatantly to deflect criticism. His only goal is to discredit Nyay Patra, the Congress.”

He said that the Congress party’s platform does not include inheritance tax and that it is not included in the manifesto.

In 1985, Rajiv Gandhi had done away with it. On the other hand, BJP heavyweights like Jayant Sinha and Arun Jaitley supported inheritance tax. The person claiming that an inheritance tax would be introduced is incorrect; in fact, this is the BJP’s goal, Ramesh said.

Ramesh said, “I challenge him to show us where wealth redistribution is mentioned in the manifesto,” referencing Modi’s assertion that the Congress would transfer money if it wins power. The individual who does not respect mangalsutras himself is talking about it; where have we declared that we would remove mangalsutras?”

Ramesh said that the Congress supports inclusive economic growth and that Modi does not claim that the existence of 21 billionaires with wealth equal to 70% of the people is a result of his objectives and actions.

The leader of the Congress also questioned Modi about his position on the caste census issue.

The prime minister used Congress politician Sam Pitroda’s comments on inheritance tax as justification for Ramesh’s statements the day before, intensifying the governing BJP’s assault on the subject of “wealth redistribution.”

Following Pitorda’s inheritance tax statements, Congress said it had no intention of enacting such a tax and disassociated itself from the remarks made by the abroad wing’s US-based president.

The Congress has been insistent that its platform does not include “redistribution” and that it supports a socio-economic caste census in response to the BJP’s campaign, which claimed that the Congress would establish an inheritance tax and redistribute wealth if it came to power.