‘I am 50% of the population, I want 50% of the wealth’: Rahul Gandhi stirs polls again with ‘Redistribution’ scoop

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday again called for redistribution of wealth according to the share of different sections of India’s population, while speaking to people at a Nyay Manch event. The Bharatiya Janata Party plans to use this as more ammunition to attack the Wayanad MP and his party amid the Lok Sabha polls, questioning the economic model he promises.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned against Rahul Gandhi’s ‘wealth redistribution’ even as the Congress has said it is not part of his manifesto. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told News18 that Gandhi’s model would lead to a financial slowdown.

“How much wealth is in the hands of the left behind, the poor of the general castes, women… we will determine through an economic survey who has how much wealth. Then a new politics will emerge. Someone will say that if he has 50% people but 2% of the wealth, he will say he wants 50% wealth. Seedhi baat hai…this is our thought,” Gandhi said, responding to the question from an OBC person standing on the stage.

The Congress leader said 90% of the country’s population, comprising Dalits, tribals and backward classes, do not know the population they represent. “What part of India’s wealth is in your hands, you don’t know… how much wealth does the OBC people have? Nobody knows. We will do a caste census and then an economic survey. We will find out who has the wealth. Every institution will undergo an investigation,” Gandhi told a group of youth.

The Congress leader said a caste census would further reveal how many OBCs there were in the media, business, judiciary and armed forces. “Hamare log kahan baithe hain, sab pata chal jayega,” he said.

Check out the Lok Sabha Election Schedule 2024 Phase 3, major candidates and constituencies on the News18 website.