Google searches for inheritance tax and Sam Pitroda hit a new high amid raging row

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) From religion-based reservation to wealth redistribution to inheritance tax, this election season is witnessing intense fireworks with political parties gunning for each other.

Interestingly, the public is also not behind in shaping the election narrative as they are showing keen interest on these issues even as the parties have accused each other of deviating from ‘real issues’.

Google searches dated April 25, on topics like ‘Inheritance Tax’ and Sam Pitroda show that they are finding enough traction among the public.

The search engine found that Google searches for inheritance tax were at their highest in the last 20 years while Google searches for Congress leader Sam Pitroda were at their highest in the last five years.

Amid the heat of poll campaign, the electoral discourse got occupied by Sam Pitroda’s advocacy of the inheritance tax in India and its vehement counter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the poll rallies.

Indian Overseas Congress president Sam Pitroda sparked a major row when he termed the inheritance tax, as practiced in US, as an ‘interesting idea’ and called for the ‘need for greater discussion’ on it.

His remarks on inheritance tax came in response to PM Modi’s charge that Congress party was planning to redistribute the nation’s wealth to the minorities, if voted to power.

While the grand old party distanced itself from Pitroda’s comments on inheritance tax terming it a “personal opinion”, BJP leaders took turns to hit out at the Congress leader.

Speaking to mediapersons, Sam Pitroda had said: “In America, there is an inheritance tax. If someone has $100 million in wealth and passes away, they can only transfer about 45 per cent to their children; the government takes the remaining 55 per cent. It’s an interesting law. It suggests that you’ve accumulated wealth in your lifetime, and upon your departure, a portion of it must be left for the public — not all of it, but half, which seems fair to me.”

Following this, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress over its ‘advisor’ Sam Pitroda calling for an inheritance tax law.

“Congress ka mantra hai — Congress ki loot zindagi ke sath bhi or zindagi ke baad bhi (the Congress has only one motto – that is looting people during their life and even after their life),” PM Modi said at a poll rally at Surguja in Chhattisgarh.

–IANS

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