Amid Modi's 'redistribution' charge, Cong points at wealth inequality

Stepping up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'redistribution of wealth' remark, the Congress on Tuesday said he will never tell people that more than 40 per cent of the wealth created in the country from 2012 to 2021 has gone to just one per cent of the population, and asserted that only an Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) government can deliver a vastly more inclusive economic growth.

At a rally in Rajasthan on Sunday, Modi had said that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to 'infiltrators' and those who have more children, and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources.

The Congress has hit back at Modi over his remarks targeting the party, saying after facing 'disappointment' in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, the PM has now resorted to 'lies' and 'hate speech' to divert people from the real issues.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said on X, 'The Prime Minister will never tell you that: More than 40% of the wealth created in the country from 2012 to 2021 has gone to just 1% of the population.'

Approximately 64 per cent of the total goods and services tax (GST) in the country comes from the poor, the lower middle classes, and the middle classes, he said.

'Most of the public assets and resources sold in the last ten years have gone to one or two companies - economists have shown that the growing monopolisation of the economy has led to higher inflation,' he alleged.

Today, 21 billionaires combined have more wealth than 70 crore Indians, Ramesh said.

'India needs faster economic growth. India needs vastly more inclusive economic growth. India needs hugely more ecologically sustainable growth. Only INDIA can and will deliver this triad,' Ramesh asserted.