Share of personal income tax and indirect tax shows increase

Over the last week, during the election campaign, the Congress’ manifesto and the party’s emphasis on social justice and welfare were suddenly thrust into the limelight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to give the Congress’ demand for a caste census and its plans to study distribution of surplus government land to the poor, among others, a communal turn. The Congress defended its manifesto saying the rising wealth inequality in the country needs to be addressed and dismissed Mr. Modi’s claims that its plans intended to favour a particular religious group. In the midst of this political controversy, the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda, floated the idea of an inheritance tax, which is not in place in India and is also not mentioned in the Congress’ manifesto.

Almost concurrently, as this political debate was playing out, the Finance Ministry released provisional data that showed an uptick in net tax collections. This is mostly driven by an increase in personal income tax and securities transaction tax collections. On the other hand, collections from net corporate taxes have reduced marginally. The data also show that revenues from personal income tax and securities transaction tax grew at almost double the pace compared to revenues from corporate taxes last year.

We look at some numbers to provide context to the ongoing debate and the recent release of tax data.

Chart 1 | the chart shows corporate tax and personal income tax as a share of gross tax revenue, as of February every year.

Chart appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

As can be seen from the chart, the share of corporate tax has been on a decreasing trend, while that of personal income tax has been increasing. As of February 2024, the gap between the two tax shares further increased, with income tax forming 28% of the gross tax — a new peak. The sharp fall in corporate tax after FY19 can be attributed to the deep corporate tax cuts introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in September 2019.

The data also show that the share of direct taxes has been decreasing, while that of indirect taxes has been increasing. Direct taxes, which include taxes levied directly on the incomes of corporations and individuals, are said to be “progressive” because those who earn less are taxed less and vice-versa. On the other hand, indirect taxes, which include union excise duties and the Goods and Services Tax are considered “regressive” as all consumers, regardless of their income levels, pay the same amount.

Chart 2 | The chart shows the share of direct and indirect taxes in the combined tax revenue receipts of the Centre and the States across years.

As can be seen from the chart, the share of indirect taxes, which had been falling steadily since the 1980s, has increased in the past decade. On the other hand, the share of direct taxes, which had been increasing, has consistently recorded a downturn in recent years.

Chart 3 | The chart shows the annual income bracket-wise share in total income tax returns filed (blue) and the share in total amount of income tax paid (red). Figures in %

Importantly, Chart 3 shows that a bulk of those who file personal income tax earn an annual income of ₹1 lakh-₹5 lakh. Richer individuals who earn more than ₹50 lakh are few and far between.

Moreover, a comparison with BRICS economies, for which data are available, shows that the effective personal income tax rate in India is among the highest (Chart 4).

Chart 4 | The chart compares the effective personal income tax rate in India with other BRICS countries which had data. 

Note: In case a country had two tax regimes, the highest effective tax rate was considered for comparison

Put together, the data show that poorer citizens and those in the middle-class category are increasingly shouldering a higher share of the tax burden. This is due to the combination of the rising share of personal income tax and indirect taxes in total revenue.

Rachita Rabboni is interning with The Hindu Data Team

Source: Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Controller General of Accounts, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)

Watch our Data video: Watch | Key questions remain unanswered in electoral bonds controversy

New Delhi:

Amid the massive row triggered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the Congress manifesto, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has written to him, saying that he “would be more than happy to meet you in person to explain our Nyay Patra”.

In an all-out attack on the main Opposition party, the Prime Minister has alleged that the Congress has a wealth redistribution plan that it will put in motion if it comes to power. Under this alleged plan, private property, including houses and jewellery, will be taken away and redistributed, he has said. Even mangalsutra – a jewellery worn by women as a sign of their marriage – won’t be spared, the Prime Minister has claimed.

This line of attack was first employed by the Chief Minister at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara Sunday. The Prime Minister alleged that when the Congress was in power under Dr Manmohan Singh, it had said Muslims have the first right on the country’s wealth. “This means that they will gather this property and distribute it among people who have more children, among infiltrators. Will your hard-earned money be given to infiltrators? Do you accept this? The Congress manifesto is saying this.”

The Congress has denied these allegations. Its manifesto says that if elected, the Congress will conduct a nationwide socio-economic and caste census. “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 does not say anything about a plan to redistribute private property.

The Prime Minister, however, has doubled down, repeating his charge in rally after rally.

My letter to PM @narendramodi ji underlining that he has been misinformed on the Congress Nyay Patra. I would also like to meet him in person to explain him our Manifesto, so that he doesn’t make any false statements in future.

Sharing the text of the same —

I am neither… pic.twitter.com/pSDkm4IiBW

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 25, 2024

In his letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr Kharge writes he is “neither shocked nor surprised by your language or your speeches”. “It was expected that you and other leaders from your party would start speaking in this manner after you saw the dismal performance of the BJP in the first phase of the elections,” he adds in the letter, shared on X. 

Describing the Narendra Modi government as “suit-boot ki sarkar”, Mr Kharge alleges that it works for the corporates “whose taxes you reduced, while salaried class pays higher taxes”. “The poor pays GST even on food and salt and rich corporate claim GST refunds. That is why when we talk of inequality between rich and poor, you are purposely equating it with Hindu and Muslim. Our manifesto is for the people of India whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh Jain or Buddhist,” he writes. 

Mr Kharge has accused the Prime Minister of ignoring atrocities faced by poor and backward women of the country. “Today, you talk about their mangalsutra. Isn’t your government responsible for the atrocities against women in Manipur, atrocities against Dalit girls, garlanding of rapists?”

“When farmers are committing suicides under your government, how are you protecting their wives and children? Please read about the Nari Nyay which we will be implementing when we come to power,” he adds.

The letter says it has become a “habit” for the Prime Minister “to seize on few words taken out of context and create a communal divide”.

“You are lowering the dignity of the chair by speaking in this manner. When all of this is over, people will remember that the Prime Minister of the country used such vulgar language for fear of losing an election,” Mr Kharge writes.

The Congress president urges the Prime Minister not to “get carried away” by his supporters clapping at his speeches. “They are not allowing you to hear the crores of right thinking citizens who are disappointed by your speeches,” he writes.

“The Congress Nyay Patra aims at providing Nyay to the youth, women, farmers, labours and marginalised people across all castes and communities. You are being misinformed by your advisors about things that are not even written in our manifesto. I would be more than happy to meet you in person to explain our Nyay Patra so that as the Prime Minister of the country you don’t make any statements that are false,” the Congress president writes before signing off. 

The BJP is yet to respond to the Congress president’s letter. 

Earlier, soon after the Prime Minister’s remarks on Sunday, Mr Kharge had described it as a “hate speech” aimed at diverting attention from key poll issues.

The BJP had responded that the Prime Minister had called a spade a spade and echoed people’s sentiments. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters that the opposition is in pain as the Prime Minister has showed them the mirror about its past.

The Congress has flagged the Prime Minister’s remarks to the Election Commission of India, which has sought a response from the BJP leadership. The poll body has also issued a notice to the Congress leadership, seeking its response to a BJP complaint against Rahul Gandhi.

New Delhi:

Hitting back at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over their claims that his party intends to redistribute wealth and that even women’s ‘mangalsutras’ were under threat, Congress leader P Chidambaram has challenged them to show even one mention of any such promise in the manifesto. 

Mr Chidambaram also said such claims were possibly being made because his party’s manifesto was a well-considered one while the BJP’s was a document of cult worship. 

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Wednesday, the head of Congress’ manifesto committee, said, “All that the BJP has been saying for the past three or four days, especially from the Prime Minister downwards, is absolute rubbish. Show me one word called redistribution anywhere in the manifesto, which runs to 45 pages. Show me the phrase ‘ redistribute the wealth’ anywhere. Unless they are reading a manifesto written by ghosts, hired by the BJP, in invisible ink; it’s not in our manifesto.”

To a question on Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Overseas Congress, stirring up a controversy by terming the inheritance law in the US “interesting”, the former finance minister only said that it does not appear in the manifesto and that he himself had not spoken about it. 

‘Completely Imaginary’

On the PM’s claim that the Congress planned to give reservation to Muslims at the expense of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs, Mr Chidambaram said, “Where is that in the manifesto? All the statements made by the BJP leaders in the last four days are completely imaginary. They must show where this is in the manifesto. I have been challenging them publicly.”

The former finance minister asserted that the Congress has done its math and is confident that every promise made in its manifesto can be fulfilled over the term of a government.

“Last time, when we said we would waive agricultural loans, we were ridiculed and told that there is no money, but our government waived such loans to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore. When we started the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, we were again asked, ‘Where is the money?’, but we implemented it and the BJP has continued it. We found the money for it, and so has the BJP,” he said.

Emphasising that the Congress manifesto, which promises justice to different sections of society, is being talked about across the country, he said the BJP’s document is not even a manifesto but is called ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’.

“In fact, the entire document is cult worship. They have nothing comparable to our programme, our promises. Our manifesto has become the talking point throughout India. Unfortunately, the BJP’s ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ vanished without a trace in about two hours. Therefore, they are inventing imaginary stories and attacking us,” he said. 
 

New Delhi:

A huge political row has broken out over senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks on inheritance tax with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that this was a sign that the party, if voted to power, will redistribute the wealth of Indians. Mr Pitroda’s example of an inheritance tax in the US added fuel to the fire that the Congress has been trying to douse since Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue at a rally two days ago.

While Congress distanced itself from the remarks, Mr Pitroda also issued a clarification today saying that he was just expressing his views on the inheritance tax in the US.

“It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted to divert attention from what lies PM is spreading about Congress manifesto,” Mr Pitroda said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The BJP has targeted the Congress claiming that the party’s manifesto promises to seize and redistribute the wealth of Indians, a charge it denies.

“This is what the Congress manifesto says. They will take stock of the gold that (our) mothers and sisters have, they will count and assess it, and then they will distribute that wealth, and they will give it to those people that Dr Manmohan Singh’s government had said – that Muslims have the first right to the nation’s wealth,” PM Modi said.

Does the Congress manifesto promise to redistribute wealth?  

In its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress makes several statements regarding income inequality, India’s wealth, people belonging to economically weak sections, and the allocation of government land and resources.

“Congress will conduct a nationwide 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,” says one of the points in the manifesto, called the ‘Nyay Patra’.

In another point, the Congress says “The economic empowerment of minorities is a necessary step for India to realise its full potential. We will ensure that banks will provide institutional credit to minorities without discrimination.”

But nowhere in their manifesto does the Congress claim that it will seize the wealth from the rich and distribute it among the poor. The party has promised a caste census to gather data, and accordingly implement affirmative action policy. Rahul Gandhi has called the census an ‘X-ray’ of India which the party believes will aid them in policy making.

The party’s manifesto adds that it will “address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies.”

The manifesto also mentions “first charge” on resources in a point under the ‘Welfare’ section. It mentions that India has “nearly 22 crore people who are poor,” and under their governance, “the welfare of the poor will be the first charge on all government resources.” But it makes no statements regarding surveying gold owned by Indian women or about restributing the ‘surveyed’ wea

What Did Sam Pitroda Say

Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, said that India should discuss bringing a policy similar to the inheritance tax where the government takes 55 per cent of a person’s wealth after his death.

“If a person has property worth US dollars 10 million, then after his death, 45 per cent of the property goes to his children and 55 per cent of the property goes to the government,” Mr Pitroda told ANI and added that there is no such law in India.

“Such issues should be discussed. We are talking about policies that are in the interest of the people, not just the rich,” he added.

#WATCH | Chicago, US: Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda says, “…This is a policy issue. Congress party would frame a policy through which the wealth distribution would be better…We don’t have a minimum wage (in India)…If we come up with a minimum wage in the… pic.twitter.com/PO6Mnili5p

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2024

It is worth pointing out that the US does not have a federal inheritance tax. In some states, such as Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, inherited assets are taxed. The payable tax depends on the amount of the inheritance and the relationship to the dead. This tax is only applied above a certain threshold and can go up to nearly 20 per cent of the inheritance.

What The Congress Say

Several Congress leaders have come out and clarified that there are no plans of ‘seizing and redistributing’ wealth if they are voted to power in the 2024 elections. The party has also filed a complaint with the Election Commission, highlighting PM Modi’s speech.  

But Sam Pitroda’s recent remarks have forced the party into firefighting mode saying that the comments do not reflect the party’s policies

“Mr. Pitroda’s views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

Sam Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher, and guide to many across the world, including me. He has made numerous, enduring contributions to India’s developments. He is President of the Indian Overseas Congress.

Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 24, 2024

BJP’s Fresh Attack

Leading the BJP’s attack over senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today alleged that the Opposition party plans to tax inheritance passed down from parents to their children.

Addressing a poll rally at Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, the Prime Minister said the Congress’s “dangerous intentions are coming out in the open”.

“The wealth you accumulate with your hard work won’t pass down to your children. The Congress’s hand will snatch it. The Congress’s mantra is ‘loot during your lifetime, loot after your death’,” PM Modi said.

Surguja (Chhattisgarh):

Leading the BJP’s attack over senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today alleged that the Opposition party plans to tax inheritance passed down from parents to their children. The Congress has distanced itself from Mr Pitroda’s remarks and said they do not reflect the party’s position.

Addressing a poll rally at Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, the Prime Minister said the Congress’s “dangerous intentions are coming out in the open”.

Referring to Mr Pitroda, he said, “The advisor of the prince of the Congress royal family had earlier said that the middle class should be taxed more. Now they have gone further ahead. Now the Congress is saying that it will impose an Inheritance Tax and tax the inheritance received by people from their parents.”

“The wealth you accumulate with your hard work won’t pass down to your children. The Congress’s hand will snatch it. The Congress’s mantra is ‘loot during your lifetime, loot after your death’,” the Prime Minister said, taking a cue from Life Insurance Corporation’s “zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi” tagline.

“As long as you live, Congress’s high taxation will make you suffer. When you are dead, they will put the burden of inheritance tax,” he said.

Mr Pitroda, who leads the overseas wing of the Congress, is at the centre of a huge row after his remarks during an interview to news agency ANI. While targeting the Prime Minister over his allegations that the Congress plans to redistribute the nation’s wealth and that will take property and jewellery if it comes to power, Mr Pitroda said the Congress’s manifesto is well-drafted and accused the BJP of making up stories.

The Congress, he said, has always focused on the people at the bottom of the economic pyramid, whether they are OBCs, Muslims, Dalits or tribals. “Billionaires don’t need our help. It is the poor people who need our help. Inequality has substantially increased in the last 10 years,” he said.

“This doesn’t mean that you are going to take your wealth and give it to somebody. This means to create new policies so that the concentration of wealth can be prevented. It’s like a Monopoly Act,” he said.

He then cited a US example that snowballed into a controversy. “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 per cent to his children, 55 per cent 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,” Mr Pitroda said.

It is worth pointing out that the US does not have a federal inheritance tax. In some states, such as Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, inherited assets are taxed. The payable tax depends on the amount of the inheritance and the relationship to the dead. This tax is only applied above a certain threshold and can go up to nearly 20 per cent of the inheritance.

Mr Pitroda said this is a policy issue. “Congress party would frame a policy through which the wealth distribution would be better. We don’t have a minimum wage (in India). If we come up with a minimum wage in the country saying you must pay so much money to the poor, that’s the distribution of wealth. Today, rich people don’t pay their peons, servants, and home help enough, but they spend that money on a vacation in Dubai and London,” he said.

Soon after the remarks started doing the rounds on social media, the BJP doubled up on its charge against the Congress. Union Home Minister Amit Shah appealed to the people to take Mr Pitroda’s remarks seriously. “Their hidden plans have come out in the open. People should take note. And the Congress must withdraw the mention of survey from its manifesto,” he said.

In fact, the manifesto calls for a nationwide socio-economic and caste Census to provide the data foundation for affirmative action, but does not mention any wealth redistribution plan.

The matter has gained steam after the Prime Minister alleged in election rallies that the Congress plans to conduct a survey and put into motion a wealth redistribution plan. He has also claimed that property and jewellery owned by citizens would be surveyed, taken away and redistibuted.   

Pushed into firefighting mode over Mr Pitroda’s remarks, the Congress distanced itself from the senior leader’s remark and stressed that its manifesto does not mention what the BJP is alleging.

Senior leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X, “Sam Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher, and guide to many across the world, including me. He has made numerous, enduring contributions to India’s developments. He is President of the Indian Overseas Congress.”

“Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about. Surely, in a democracy an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views. This does not mean that Mr. Pitroda’s views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not,” Mr Ramesh clarified.

“Sensationalising his comments now and tearing them out of context are deliberate and desperate attempts at diverting attention away from Mr. Narendra Modi’s malicious and mischievous election campaign; that is anchored ONLY in lies and more lies,” he said.

Pawan Khera, chairman of Congress’s media and publicity department, said Prime Minister Modi’s remarks suggest that he has a problem with social justice. “In the past 10 years, the society’s deprived section has been left far behind due to Mr Modi’s policies,” he said.

Stressing that Mr Pitroda had not said the Congress will bring any inheritance act policy and that no such policy is mentioned in the party’s manifesto, he asked, “Is discussing and debating different ideas not allowed in this ancient land of Shastrarth?”

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told the media that the party did not impose any inheritance tax when it was in power for so many years. “Now you are trying to spread lies and create a bogey when there is none,” she said.

“Congress doesn’t believe in inheritance tax and we have never discussed or contemplated this. It’s actually Narendra Modi and his former finance minister Arun Jaitley who contemplated this, it’s their agenda,” she said.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala):

Former Union Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram said today that if the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre, it would enact a special law to bring into effect the legal principle established by the Supreme Court that “bail is the rule, and jail is the exception”.

“We are also promising to bring a special law that would say, ‘Bail is the rule, jail is the exception’. it was a great son of Kerala, Justice Krishna who emphasised this law,” Mr Chidambaram said at a press conference here.

“This rule is rarely followed in the lower judiciary, magistrates, and district judges, ultimately, not everybody can go to the Supreme Court to get bail. 65 per cent of the prisoners are under trial; they are not convicts, so why are they in jail? 90 per cent of the undertrials are OBCs, SC and STs; therefore, we would bring a special law: ‘Bail is the rule, jail is the exception’ — everybody after the first 15 days of interrogation by police or the CBI must be granted bail,” he added.

Mr Chidambaram also said that if the INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre, it will repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the three criminal laws brought by the BJP government.

“We will repeal, amend and review the following sets of laws – CAA 2019 is at the top of the list. The Farmers Produce, Trade and Commerce Promotion of Facilitation Act 2020, the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita that is equivalent to the IPC, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita that is the CrPC and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Act that is the Evidence Act,” Mr Chidambaram said while responding to a question by ANI at a press conference here.

“These five will be totally repealed. Then we have eight laws that will be repealed and new laws will be made. Then we have 25 laws, which will be amended and brought on par with the Constitution. So we are absolutely clear that the Citizenship Amendment Act will be repealed,” said Mr Chidambaram, who served as Union Home Minister from 2008 till 2012 under the UPA government.

He also rejected the CPM leaders’ allegation that the Congress leaders were silent on CAA.

“Shashi Tharoor has widely spoken against the CAA and it was widely reported. Priyanka Gandhi said we oppose CAA,” Mr Chidambaram, the chairman of the Congress manifesto committee

Recently, in an election rally, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had alleged that Congress and Rahul Gandhi were silent on CAA, showing the “same mindset” as Sangh Parivar. He further alleged that Kerala unit of the Congress, which initially joined the Left front to oppose the CAA, withdrew on the directions of its national leadership.

The Congress manifesto for 2024 Lok Sabha election under the section, “REVERSING THE DAMAGE” says, “We promise that all anti-people laws passed by the BJP/NDA without proper parliamentary scrutiny and debate, especially those relating to workers, farmers, criminal justice, environment and forests and digital data protection, will be thoroughly reviewed and changed.”

The CAA enables citizenship to undocumented migrants belonging to six non-Muslim communities — Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014 and reduces the period to qualify for citizenship from existing 11 years to five years.

A file photo of Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member Milind Deora has claimed that the Congress, which once ushered in economic reforms, currently has a divisive economic agenda which seeks to derail India’s economic growth trajectory.

In an interview to PTI, Mr. Deora said the Congress was a centrist party but it “veered very, very Left” and talks about policies that have failed around the world when the party should be talking about policies which can fuel innovation and investment.

The economic reforms of 1991, the Congress’ policies of the previous 60 or 70 years, facilitated the creation of businessmen and wealth creators, he noted.

Now the Congress party is trying to “name call them, abuse them, criticise them”, the former Union Minister claimed. “It is a symptom of the fact that the Congress is moving away from its own legacy,” he said.

“The Congress had an economic agenda to take India forward. Today, I find the Congress has an economic agenda which is divisive, that seeks to derail India’s economic growth trajectory, which when India is faced with a really interesting and exciting tailwind where much of the world wants to diverse from China and invest in India,” he said.

“We should be taking advantage of that,” he said.

Mr. Deora, a Lok Sabha member from South Mumbai from 2004-2014, and served as a Union minister in the Manmohan Singh government. He quit the grand old party in January this year and joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

He said many people in the Congress, including former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, will not subscribe to the party’s current economic view.

‘Congress implemented 1991 reforms’

It is the Congress which implemented the economic reforms in 1991 under the leadership of the then PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, he said. “But the Congress moved away, shied away from those reforms,” the Shiv Sena MP said.

Milind Deora and his father — former Union minister late Murli Doera — share a unique distinction as both served as the Mumbai Congress president.

The Shiv Sena MP also hit out at the Congress for opposing the abrogation of Article 370 (which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir) and said the nation’s founding fathers, who were also members of the Congress, had introduced it as a temporary provision.

Article 370 was a temporary provision in the Constitution, but the Congress “veered away” from it, he said. The Congress fought against caste politics, but today the party is advocating it, Mr. Deora said, alluding to the opposition party’s assurance of a caste census if it comes to power.

Jorhat (Assam):

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday alleged that the Congress’ poll manifesto was more appropriate for elections in neighbouring Pakistan than for India.

The Congress, on the other hand, said a turncoat like Mr Sarma would not be able to understand the secular and inclusive ethos of the grand old party, and asserted that its manifesto aims to safeguard the interests of all sections of the society.

Mr Sarma condemned the poll promise document brought out by the opposition party, claiming that it was targeted at dividing the society to come to power.

“This is politics of appeasement and we condemn it. The manifesto feels like it is not for elections in Bharat but for Pakistan,” Mr Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in Jorhat constituency.

Mr Sarma maintained that no person in the country, either Hindu or Muslim, wants the revival of triple talaq or supports child marriage or polygamy.

“The mentality of the Congress is to divide the society and come to power,” the BJP leader claimed.

The Congress released its manifesto, focusing on five ‘pillars of justice’ and 25 guarantees under those, on Friday.

Right to apprenticeship, a legal guarantee for MSP, passing a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs, a nationwide caste census and scrapping of the Agnipath scheme are among the promises made by the Congress in its Lok Sabha polls manifesto.

Mr Sarma asserted that the BJP has taken the form of an ‘andolan’ and this movement is to make the country the ‘vishwa guru’ (world leader).

He also asserted that the saffron party and its allies would bag all 14 Lok Sabha in the state.

He said positive feedback has been received from the Dhubri constituency, regarding which Sarma had earlier been maintaining that the BJP-led alliance’s candidate will not be victorious.

Reacting to his statement, Assam Congress spokesperson Bedabrata Bora claimed that a turncoat like Mr Sarma would not be able to understand the secular and inclusive ethos of the grand old party.

“Sarma had been in the Congress for several years but he could not understand the main ethos of the party. That is why he went to the BJP. Even after being in the BJP for some time now, he still tries to defame Congress to prove his loyalty to the saffron party,” Mr Bora told the news agency PTI.

The Congress leader asserted that the party’s manifesto aims to safeguard the interests of all sections and rubbished the allegations made by Sarma. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (file)
| Photo Credit: PTI

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has questioned the “reprehensible silence” of the Congress on the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to mediapersons at Cherthala in Alappuzha on April 6 (Saturday), Mr. Vijayan said that unlike the Congress, the manifesto of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] had pledged to scrap “draconian laws” such as the CAA, Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, among others.

“The BJP government has implemented the CAA to polarise society. It is aimed at making Muslims second-class citizens in the country. The Congress and its leadership have been maintaining silence on the CAA. Its manifesto has not promised to repeal the CAA. The silence of the Congress in its manifesto on CAA and other draconian laws points out that the party is not serious about the fight against the Sangh Parivar and its Hindutva agenda,” said Mr. Vijayan, adding that Congress’ decision to omit the CAA from its manifesto was “planned.”

He criticised the BJP for revoking Article 370 (that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir) and hit out at the Congress for “failing to oppose” the Union government’s decision.

‘BJP won’t win any seats in Kerala’

The Chief Minister said the BJP “would not win a single seat from Kerala” in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“Of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala, the BJP will not even come second in any of the seats. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) will not allow communalism to take root in Kerala. We will oppose the Sangh Parivar with all strength and work to oust them from power at the Centre,” Mr. Vijayan said.

He said the BJP opened the account in Kerala in the 2016 Assembly polls with the help of the Congress. “In the 2011 polls, the UDF bagged 17.38% votes in Nemom. Five years later, the UDF’s vote share in the constituency dipped to 9.7% and the BJP candidate won. In 2021, the LDF reclaimed the seat and closed the BJP’s account in Kerala. The LDF will not change its political stance for votes,” the Chief Minister said.

On the bomb blast near Panur in Kannur that killed one person, Mr. Vijayan said illegal activities would be firmly dealt with. “The CPI(M) has nothing to do with the blast. The police are investigating it,” he said.

New Delhi:

The Congress has released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, with jobs creation, development of infrastructure, and a national caste census among the major highlights.

The manifesto was released in Delhi by party boss Mallikarjun Kharge, who was flanked by senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram – who led the committee that drafted the document – was also present.

“This manifesto will be ‘nyay ka dastavez‘ (a document for justice) in the political history of the country. From the five pillars of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ – yuva (youth), kisan (farmers), naari (women), shramik (workers), and hissedari (equity), 25 guarantees will emerge… ,” Mr Kharge said.

The overall theme of the manifesto is based on ‘work’, ‘wealth’, and ‘welfare’, the party said.

“‘Work’ means you must provide jobs. ‘Wealth’ must be created before it is distributed. ‘Welfare’ means taking care of the poorer sections,” the Congress said.

Congress Manifesto: Caste Census

One of the biggest talking points is the caste census – a political hot topic that has been in the headlines since the Bihar government’s statewide survey was released in November.

In its manifesto the Congress vowed to conduct a nationwide census to identify and enumerate castes, sub-castes and their socio-economic condition, and amend the Constitution to raise the 50 per cent cap on quota for marginalised groups – i.e., scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes.

Congress Manifesto: MSP For Farmers

The party has also promised to implement MSP, or minimum support price, for farmer growing cash crops. The MSP issue has been at the heart of protests by farmers since 2020, when lakhs from across the country went on a months-long agitation against the centre’s (now-scrapped) three farm laws.

The Congress has said it will give a permanent legal guarantee for MSP – a core demand for protesting farmers – based on the formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.

“Congress has been the only party that has lent its ear to the distress of the farmers and farm labourers, and we are determined to do everything possible to alleviate their pain and make agriculture a desirable livelihood,” the party said, attacking the BJP’s response to the farmers protest as “callous and brutal”.

Congress Manifesto: Poverty

The party also vowed to eliminate poverty by improving the fortunes of 23 crore people over the next decade. Mr Chidambaram attacked the BJP as a “government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich”, and said it is “driven by the interests of the top 1 per cent”.

“… but we will look at the bottom 50 per cent. The bottom 50 per cent is as important. It has been estimated 23 crore people are still poor in this country. The UPA lifted 24 crore people out of poverty and we promise, if the Congress-led government comes to power in 2024, we will lift 23 crore in 10 years.”

As part of this promise – and to empower women – the Congress said it would launch a ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme to provide an unconditional cash transfer of Rs 1 lakh per year to the oldest female member of every poor family.  Beneficiaries will be identified as those from the bottom level of the income pyramid.

Inequality of income and opportunity remain India’s ugliest truth. It is the moral and political responsibility of any government to ensure that every family is assured of a basic income every month, the party said.

Congress Manifesto: National Security, China

The Congress said it “recognises that national security is not enhanced by chest-thumping or exaggerated claims, but by quiet attention to borders and resolute defence preparedness”.

The party said it would work to restore status quo on the country’s borders with China and “ensure areas where both armies patrolled in the past are again accessible to our soldiers”.

This has been seen as a direct jab at the BJP over the military stand-off with China in parts of eastern Ladakh following violence in June 2020 that, the opposition has repeatedly claimed, led to New Delhi surrendering territory to Beijing.

On diplomatic tension with Maldives, the Congress said it work to “repair relations”.

Congress Manifesto: Healthcare

Universal free healthcare, including cost of diagnosis, surgery, and medication, will be made available, the party said. This will come with cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakh, like the model implemented in Rajasthan, when the Congress was in power.

“We promise that healthcare will be universal and free in public health centres, such as hospitals, clinics, PHCs, MHCs, and dispensaries, as well as health camps. Free healthcare will include examination, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation, and palliative care.”

The Congress said it would also establish Assisted Living and Care Centres for disabled people and provide representation for them in local bodies.

Congress Manifesto: Other Major Points

In a move likely to resonate strongly among unemployed youth struggling with massive loan debts, the party said it would “as a one-time measure of relief” write off all student educational loans, including unpaid interest. This amount will be calculated as on March 15.

Banks will be compensated by the government, the Congress said.

The party said it would also introduce a law to “recognise civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community“.

The Congress said it would amend laws to “combine the efficiency of EVM and transparency of ballot papers“. “Voting will be through the EVM but the voter will be able to hold and deposit the machine-generated voting slip into the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit,” the party said.

2024 Lok Sabha Election

The election will be spread over seven phases beginning April 19.

Votes will be declared June 4.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP – which is yet to release its manifesto – are bidding for a third consecutive term.  They face a combined challenge from the opposition, which has united (for the most part) under the INDIA banner led by the Congress. 

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