PM Modi's 'wealth to infiltrators' offensive: What did Rahul Gandhi, Congress manifesto really say on wealth redistribution?

PM Modi addresses a rally in Rajasthan's Tonk (PTI Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that Congress would distribute the wealth of people among "infiltrators" if voted to power has stoked a political firestorm in the run up to the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

The grand old party has dismissed the accusation as "ludicrous", with Praveen Chakravarty, a member of the Congress manifesto drafting committee, saying that nothing in the party manifesto or any statements made by its leaders even remotely suggests anything like that.

Here's the full sequence of events and who said what:

First, the Prime Minister's charges against Congress

During a rally in Rajasthan on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi recalled a statement made by his predecessor Manmohan Singh in 2006 wherein the former PM suggested that minorities, particularly Muslims, should have the first right to the country's resources.

PM Modi then warned people that a Congress government will distribute the nation’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, suggesting that he meant Muslims.

He added the grand old party will even "steal the gold and mangalsutras of mothers and sisters", recalling another statement made by Rahul Gandhi on wealth distribution survey.

"The 'Shehzada' of Congress says that if their government comes to power, they will investigate who earns how much, who has how many properties ... Our mothers and sisters have gold. It is 'stree dhan', it is considered sacred, the law also protects it. Now these people's eyes are on the 'Mangalsutra' of women. Their intention is to steal the gold of mothers and sisters," he said.

In subsequent rallies, the Prime Minister sharpened these attacks on Congress and its alleged "appeasement" tilt.

For instance, on Tuesday, he said the Congress tried to implement quotas for Muslims on several occasions but failed. "As soon as the Congress government came to power at the Centre in 2004, its first task was to try to provide reservation to Muslims by reducing SC/ST reservations in Andhra Pradesh. This was a pilot project, which Congress wanted to try in the entire country. Between 2004 and 2010, Congress tried four times to implement Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh. However, due to legal hurdles and awareness of the Supreme Court, they could not fulfil his plans. In 2011, Congress tried to implement it across the country," he said at a rally in Rajasthan's Tonk.

He added that Congress wanted to eat into the quotas provided for SC/STs to carve out reservation for their "special vote bank".

The two Congress statements that preceded PM Modi's election offensive 

PM Modi's attack on Congress's "wealth redistribution" promises stems from two statements: one made by former PM Manmohan Singh and another by Rahul Gandhi.

In December 2006, Manmohan Singh had spelled out the need to create plans to ensure that minorities, especially Muslims, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development.

Here's what he said: “I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and women and children. The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalised. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has a myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the overall resource availability.”

Recently, Rahul Gandhi said at an election rally in Hyderabad on April 7 that Congress will conduct a nationwide survey if voted to power to ensure that money is distributed to various sections of the society as per their population.

"First, we will conduct a caste census to know the exact population and status of backward castes, SCs, STs, minorities and other castes. After that, the financial and institutional survey will begin. Subsequently, we will take up the historic assignment to distribute the wealth of India, jobs and other welfare schemes to these sections based on their population," the Congress leader said.

Rahul's statement was a callback to his own "jitni abadi, utna haq" slogan after the release of the Bihar caste survey data in October 2023. In fact, Rahul has been promising that Congress will conduct financial and economic surveys after a caste census if voted to power.

What does Congress's manifesto really say

The 45-page "Nyay Patra" released by Congress on April 5 does not explicitly mention that it will undertake a wealth redistribution exercise. It does, however, highlight the need to address income inequality in the country.

"We will address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies ... Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action," the manifesto said.

On minorities, the manifesto said that “the economic empowerment of minorities is a necessary step for India to realise its full potential”. It then made several promises to strengthen the rights of minorities and ensure that they get fair share of opportunities in education, healthcare, public employment, public works contracts, among others.

Here's the full manifesto released by Congress

Congress's clarification

Playing down the controversy, Congress's Praveen Chakravarty said it is "bizarre" to even suggest that the government can take away people's resources. He added that what Rahul referred to was a "philosophical idea" of wealth parity.

"I think what Mr Gandhi was referring to is a more philosophical idea of 'jitni abadi, utna haq' ... he is asking the question - shouldn't we aspire for a society that is representative in the rewards and benefits as per identity? Because today it's not," Chakravarty said.

What is “Muslim” about the Congress manifesto?

And what does it say about private wealth distribution?

As a member of the manifesto drafting committee, I answer these questions in these videos. pic.twitter.com/9YVLksZzsU

— Praveen Chakravarty (@pravchak) April 22, 2024

He said whether the idea is utopian or idealistic is a debatable thing but it is something we can aspire for and most moral philosophers will agree with it. "However, it does not mean that the government will come into people's homes and take away their assets," he scoffed.

He dismissed PM Modi's statements on wealth distribution as mere "dog-whistling" and absolutely political.

BJP sources told News18 that PM Modi's offensive is based on actual statements made by Congress leaders in the past and the promises made in its manifesto.

“It is the Congress which needs to explain what its intentions are through such statements and promises,” a top BJP leader told News18.

BJP also questioned the “affirmative action” promise of Congress in its manifesto post a caste census and socio-economic survey. It said the grand old party should provide clarity on its manifesto pledge that it "will ensure that the minorities receive their fair share of opportunities in education, healthcare, public employment, public works contracts, skill development, sports and cultural activities without discrimination”.