National

Sam Pitroda Returns As Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress

The Chief stepped down towards the end of April after his remarks regarding wealth redistribution set the Congress party on a backfoot during the Lok Sabha Elections.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
PTI
Indian Overseas Congress head Sam Pitroda | Photo: PTI
info_icon

A month after his remarks sparked a massive political row in India, Sam Pitroda has been reappointed as the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.

The Chief stepped down towards the end of April after his remarks regarding wealth redistribution set the Congress party on a backfoot during the Lok Sabha Elections.

After Phase one of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 concluded, a row between the NDA and INDA bloc emerged over the topic of wealth redistribution. The row began with a charge led by PM Narendra Modi who alleged that the Congress will redistribute the wealth of people to Muslims.

Sam Pitroda added fuel to the fire by talking about the inheritance tax in the United States. While slamming PM Modi for the remarks against Congress and its manifesto, Pitroda stated -

"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million 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".

Pitroda's comments backfired and were latched onto by the BJP who claimed that the Congress' hidden agenda had been exposed.

At several rallies across India, PM Modi had alleged that the Congress party plans to snatch the "mangalsutras and gold of the women of India" and give them to "infiltrators and those with more children".

Later during the elections, Modi denied making such comments but clips and videos of the prime minister during election rallies show otherwise.