From ‘Hua to Hua’ to ‘Inheritance Tax’: 6 remarks by Sam Pitroda that put Congress on the back foot
Sam Pitroda, considered close to the Gandhi family, has put the Congress party in the dock several times in the recent past. Apart from his comments on ‘Inheritance Tax, many of Pitroda’s remarks have not gone well with his own party and drawn criticism from PM Modi and other BJP leaders.
Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, clarified on April 24 that his statement on US inheritance tax law was twisted to ‘deflect attention’ from the core issues.
Pitroda’s clarification came after the Congress party distanced itself from his remarks and after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders slammed him over his remarks on the redistribution of wealth.
Pitroda had, in an interview, reportedly advocated a US-type inheritance tax law in the country, even as the Congress party said his views did not always reflect the party's position.
Inheritance tax refers to a state levy on the assets an individual receives as part of an inheritance. The US has no central inheritance tax, though some states have it.
Pitroda's comments in this election year have sparked a political row, with top BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, hitting out at the Congress party.
Addressing a poll rally at Chhattisgarh's Surguja, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the Congress party on Pitroda's remarks. He said the grand old party's “dangerous intentions” in the election manifesto were coming out in the open.
What did Sam Pitroda say on April 23?
Pitroda, on April 23, seemingly backed the Congress party’s stand on redistribution of wealth and advocated an inheritance tax law in the country while elaborating on the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in the United States.
The statement assumes significance because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this week accused Congress of planning to redistribute the wealth of people among “those with more children,” a charge the grand old party denied.
“In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies, he can only transfer probably 45 percent to his children, 55 percent is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you, in your generation, made wealth, and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda said in an interview.
This is not the first time that Pitroda, considered close to the Gandhi family, has put the Congress party in the dock. Many of his previous statements, too, didn’t go well with his party and were criticised by the BJP.
‘Hua to Hua’ on 1984 anti-Sikh riots
In May 2019, Pitroda, when questioned on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, set off a storm by replying “so what” to a question on the alleged involvement of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the riots.
“Ab kya hai ’84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. ’84 mein hua to hua. You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain. (What about 1984 (riots) now? Talk about what you did in the last five years. What happened in 1984 has happened. So what? You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. You did not even do that. You did nothing, so you keep talking about here and there.) Pitroda had said this in response to a question on the BJP’s allegation that the instructions during the anti-Sikh riots in 1984 came from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s office.
The remarks during the Lok Sabha elections 2019 had sparked a political row with Prime Minister Narendra Modi linking these comments to Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi condemned the comments and said Pitroda should apologise.
Pitroda later apologised for his remarks.
‘Happens all the time’ on Pulwama attack
In February 2019, Pitroda had questioned the veracity of Balakot air strikes by the Indian Air Force in the aftermath of the Pulwama attacks. Pitroda had also pitched for a dialogue with Pakistan and said it was wrong to blame all citizens of the neighbouring country for an attack in which a few were involved.
“I don’t know much about attacks. It happens all the time. Attack happened in Mumbai, also. We could have then reacted and just sent our planes, but that is not the right approach. According to me, that’s not how you deal with the world,” Pitroda said, demanding proof of the IAF’s operation.
“Eight people (26/11 terrorists) come and do something, you don’t jump on entire nation (Pakistan). Naive to assume that just because some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed. I don’t believe in that way,” he had said.
The remarks elicited a response from PM Modi, who accused Congress of indulging in vote bank politics. “But can this be above national interest?” the PM had asked, targeting Rahul Gandhi.
Temples won’t create jobs on Ram Mandir
In June 2023, Pitroda again sparked a row when he said that temples were not going to solve India’s problems of unemployment, inflation, education, and health.
"No one talks about these things. But everyone talks about Ram, Hanuman, and Mandir. I have said that temples are not going to create jobs,” Pitroda said at an event in the US. Rahul Gandhi was also present on the occasion.
The remarks were criticised by the BJP, with its leaders calling Pitroda and Rahul Gandhi ‘Hinduphobic’. Congress distanced itself from the statement, saying his comments did not reflect the party's stand.
Nehru, no Ambedkar on Constitution
In January 2024, the BJP called Congress an ‘anti-Dalit’ party after Pitroda said that Jawaharlal Nehru contributed more to the drafting of the constitution than BR Ambedkar.
Pitroda had shared an article by Sudheendra Kulkarni, a former close aide of BJP veteran LK Advani, asserting that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, contributed more than BR Ambedkar in the framing of the Constitution.
Pitroda later deleted the post. Kulkarni is no longer with the BJP.
‘Selfish middle-class’ on NYAY scheme
Pitroda left the Congress party in a soup in April 2019 when he said that the middle class should not be selfish and should, instead, be prepared to shell out more taxes to fund the party’s proposed NYAY scheme promising a guaranteed minimum income for every poor household.
“The middle class should not be selfish and have a big heart,” he said during a TV interview. As expected, Pitroda’s remarks set off a row with senior party leaders responding to clear the air.
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram had said there would be no increase in the tax burden of the middle class, and Rahul Gandhi had also clarified that funds for the NYAY scheme would not come from people’s taxes.
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Business NewsPoliticsNewsFrom ‘Hua to Hua’ to ‘Inheritance Tax’: 6 remarks by Sam Pitroda that put Congress on the back foot
First Published:24 Apr 2024, 01:18 PM IST
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