PM Modi explains why Rajiv Gandhi abolished inheritance tax after Indira Gandhi’s death.

Prime Minister Modi addressed a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena, where voting will take place on May 7. He escalated his attack on the Congress, accusing it of accepting Partition on the basis of religion and evoking accusations that the party “cut off the country’s hands.” PM Modi also criticized Rajiv Gandhi for abolishing the inheritance tax in 1985 after his mother Indira Gandhi’s death as a means of protecting her wealth from government appropriation.

The Prime Minister warned voters that if the main Opposition party comes to power, it will implement an inheritance tax, potentially taking more than half of people’s earnings. PM Modi latched onto senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s controversial remarks and claimed that the Congress aims to confiscate people’s jewelry and small savings by conducting an X-ray of their properties and valuables. PM Modi also accused the Congress of wanting to snatch reservation of SCs/STs/OBCs for the sake of its Muslim vote-bank, emphasizing that the poor, not any particular religious group, should have the first right on the country’s resources.

He criticized the Congress for accepting Partition and alleged that the party is bent on power with religious appeasement. The Prime Minister characterized himself as ‘kaamdar’ and Rahul Gandhi as ‘naamdar,’ emphasizing that while the Congress leader enjoys abusing him, he will continue serving the people and ‘Maa Bharti.’ PM Modi further accused the Congress of hatching a conspiracy to deprive tribals and backward classes of their rights, citing the BJP government’s provision of free ration without discrimination to 80 crore people as a contrast.

PM Modi criticized the Congress for introducing religion-based quota in Andhra Pradesh and accused it of unlawfully putting many Muslims in the OBC category in Karnataka. He further alleged that the Congress manifesto is influenced by the pro-Partition Muslim League and aims to implement religion-based quota in jobs and education throughout the country. The Prime Minister claimed that the Congress, by snatching the rights of OBCs, aims to give reservation to strengthen its favored vote-bank.