Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on April 21, in Banswara, Rajasthan, accused the Indian National Congress party of being taken over by “urban naxals”. He claimed that the Congress manifesto says that if they were to assume power, they would carry out a comprehensive survey of all assets in the country, including the gold owned by women, particularly tribal women, with the intention of redistributing assets equally.
He said, “The quantity and value of gold owned by our mothers and sisters would be assessed and calculated, including the silver ornaments owned by our tribal sisters and the assets of government employees. They go on to say that the assets will be equitably redistributed. Is it acceptable to you? Does the government have the right to seize your hard-earned assets?”
Modi further said that the assets would be collected and distributed to “those with more kids”, implying the Muslim community.
Following Modi’s election speech in Rajasthan, social media posts were rife with misleading claims saying that the manifesto aimed at conducting "wealth redistribution".
Fact-check
Does the Congress manifesto talk about “wealth redistribution” as Modi claims?
Nowhere in the Congress manifesto is the term "wealth redistribution" mentioned. Neither does it discuss surveying the assets of Indians or calculating the gold and silver belonging to tribal women or seizing assets of government employees. Additionally, there is no mention of redistributing these assets to minorities, particularly Muslims. Besides, the word "Muslim" is not used anywhere in the manifesto.
What does the Congress manifesto mention?
With regard to minorities and their empowerment, the manifesto mentions the following points.
1. “We will address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies.”
BOOM spoke to Shankkar Aiyar, political economy analyst, and visiting fellow at the IDFC Institute to understand if there are any implicit suggestions of wealth redistribution in the manifesto.
The manifesto does not explicitly mention wealth redistribution, what is implicit is a matter of speculation, Aiyar told BOOM. “People are commenting on what might be, more than what is,” he added.
He further said that the manifesto suggests a need for policy assessment and exploration rather than outlining specific redistribution plans.
“For instance, the current government's existing social programs, such as free ration schemes, the NREGA Scheme, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, etc, serve as forms of assistance for the poor, and can be considered as a form of redistribution,” said Aiyar.
Furthermore, a research paper published in March 2024 by World Inequality Lab, said that about 22.6% of the total income earned in the country is claimed by the top 1% of earners. Similarly, this same group possesses around 40.1% of the nation's wealth, which includes assets like property, savings, and investments. These findings show a considerable degree of economic inequality within the country. Redistributive policies only help narrow the gap between rich and poor in countries with high inequality.
2. “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 last census of India was conducted in 2011. The following census, scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year also did not see the conduct of a census, marking an unprecedented gap in the census cycle.
3. “Congress will establish an authority to monitor the distribution to the poor of government land and surplus land under the land ceiling Acts.”
In the above statement, the Congress manifesto does not mention seizing private property or land for redistribution to minorities.
4. “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.”
Even in this statement, the manifesto only speaks about equal access to financial resources for minority groups.
What was the Congress’ response to Modi’s claims?
Praveen Chakravarty, Chairperson of the All India Professionals' Congress and involved in crafting the manifesto, explained that when discussing wealth redistribution, it's essential to consider wealth within the broader framework of budget and resources.
“Nowhere in the 48 pages of the manifesto does it say that we will take somebody’s wealth and give it to someone else. We do not want to get into anybody’s homes,” Chakravarty highlighted.
A previous Times of India report referenced Gandhi's election speech in Tukkuguda, Hyderabad, where he reportedly mentioned that the Congress party would "take up the historic assignment to distribute the wealth of India". Based on the TOI report, news outlets such as the the Economic Times and Moneycontrol, misreported it by saying "Congress' Rahul Gandhi vows a survey to redistribute the wealth of Indians". (archived links here and here)
Instead, Gandhi's actual statement, timestamped at 31:28 was, "As soon as we're elected to power, we will implement caste census in the whole country. Backward castes, Dalits, Adivasis, the poor general class and minorities will come to know what their share in this country is. After this, we will conduct a financial and institutional survey. We will find out whose hands the wealth of India is in and which class has India's wealth. After this historic step, we will start the revolutionary work. We will give you your rights, whether it is in the media, bureaucracy, or the institutions of the country, we will make space for you and give your your share."
According to Chakravarty, "It's ludicrous to suggest that in today's India, which we believe is a constitutional republic, that the state or the government can come in and take away someone's private property to somebody else...What Rahul Gandhi meant is a philosophical idea. He is asking the question: should we not aspire for a society that reflects the rewards and benefits based on identity?" Chakravarty added.
How true are Modi’s claims on the Muslim community’s population growth?
BOOM analysed data from the National Family Health Survey between 1998-2021 (latest available). It shows that fertility rates of Muslims, as well as those of other religious groups in India, have been consistently declining over the years. The fertility rate measures the average number of children born to a woman during her reproductive years. According to data from 2019-21, the fertility rate among Muslims was recorded at 2.36, which is much closer to the replacement level.
The replacement level fertility rate is approximately 2.1 children per woman, which is the rate at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next. When the fertility rate is at or near replacement level, it suggests that the population is stabilising rather than rapidly growing.
Overall, despite higher fertility rates among Muslims compared to other religious groups, recent trends suggest a decrease in their fertility rates, moving them closer to the replacement level.