Fact Check: PM Modi's claim of Congress property confiscation is false

Guwahati: During his campaign for the Lok Sabha Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a speech in Amla, Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the Congress party had made claims regarding the confiscation of more than half of people's property after their demise. This assertion was attributed to a purported Twitter account, which has since been altered. The Prime Minister's speech is accessible on the official YouTube channel of the BJP, wherein he stated:

This speech of the Prime Minister is available on the official YouTube channel of BJP.

PM Modi says at 21:48 minutes:

"Congress wants the property you have kept for your children and, what you want is to give something to your children after death, and hence you save. Congress has announced that after your death, your children will not get all the property. More than half of it will be confiscated by the SP and Congress governments. Taxes will be imposed in such a way that that property will be confiscated. This means that if you have built a house with four rooms, then the Congress-SP government will take over two of those rooms. If you have a farm of ten bighas, then five bighas of it will be given to your sons and daughters, the remaining 5 bighas will be taken over by Congress-SP government. And to whom will they distribute it? They will loot all this and distribute it to their preferred vote bank,"

However, investigations done by new website The Quint reveal that this claim is unfounded. The Congress party has neither  made such assertions in its election manifesto nor during any campaign rally. In fact, in 1985, the Congress government had abolished additional taxes on inherited property, as documented on the official website of the Government of India.

The issue of property confiscation surfaced following a recent ANI interview with Sam Pitroda, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, where he discussed aspects of the inheritance tax system in America. However, Pitroda did not advocate for its implementation under a potential Congress government. He clarified that his statements did not imply the redistribution of property from the affluent to the impoverished.

Sam Pitroda says this in response to the question at 20 seconds:

“This does not at all mean that you will take their (the rich) property and distribute it to someone else. This means making new policies, so that money can be prevented from being limited to one place. This is exactly like the Monopoly Act. This doesn't mean I'll take your shirt. This is just not possible. But future policies may be such that the same group does not exist everywhere. There is a Monopoly Act in America also. We have to see that some people are becoming very rich, and have started running the government of such rich people. There is nothing wrong in being rich, there is nothing wrong in accumulating wealth. But to what extent? Let me tell you, there is inheritance tax in America. So, let's assume that if someone has assets worth $100 million and when he dies, he can transfer only 45% to his children and the government takes the remaining 55%. This is an interesting law. This law says that you created wealth in your time, in your generation and now you are leaving, you should leave your wealth for the public. You are giving not the entire share of your property to the public but only half and I find it appropriate to do so.

Sam Pitroda to news agency ANI.

Moreover, the Congress party has distanced itself from Pitroda's remarks, clarifying that they do not represent the party's official stance. Despite Pitroda's clarification, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh reiterated in an interview with ANI, broadcasted by India Today, that Pitroda's views are personal and do not necessarily align with the party's position.

Ramesh emphasized the democratic freedom of expression while emphasizing that Pitroda's opinions do not reflect the official standpoint of the Indian National Congress.

• Ramesh said, "In a democracy, a person is certainly free to express his views, discuss and debate his personal views, but this does not mean that Pitroda ji's views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Even in this matter his views do not reflect the official stand of the party."

This story is republished from The Quint  as part of the Shakti Collective. Read the original story here.