'Necessary to Alert India About Congress Mindset': Piyush Goyal on BJP's Development vs Hindu-Muslim Agenda

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said the BJP and its leaders were still promoting the development narrative and reaching out to people with a positive attitude. (Image: News18)

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said the Congress was still banking on appeasement politics for the Lok Sabha elections, which had been revealed in its manifesto.

In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi, Goyal talked about the BJP’s development versus Hindu-Muslim agenda. He was asked why the BJP’s whole campaign had shifted to Hindu-Muslim from talking about development, the economy, and other accomplishments of the Narendra Modi-led central government after the first two phases of polling.

The union commerce minister, who is fighting his first Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North constituency, said it was important for the prime minister to reveal the direction in which “Rahul Gandhi and his friends” wanted to take India and alert the country about their mindset.

“I feel it is unfortunate that after the manifesto of the Congress was released, they were completely exposed, that they are still thinking of appeasement. They are still thinking of following the economic path shown by Sam Pitroda ji. For them, the politics of discrimination still takes priority. And the kind of confusion they tried to create in society, we felt it necessary to present it properly before the people. And I think we have not stopped talking about development and a positive agenda,” he said.

In a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara last month, the prime minister had slammed the Congress manifesto and said the party had promised to redistribute wealth by snatching away the savings of Hindus and dividing all of it among the Muslims and “infiltrators”.

“We didn’t start this discussion. You can check out Modi’s guarantees. It is a very positive narrative. We have put every issue in front of the country very seriously and deeply. We have kept a vision of how we can become a developed India in this Amrit Kaal, and what steps will be taken in that direction in our third term,” Goyal said.

He said whether it is the media or social media, there is always an inclination towards sensationalism, TRPs and headline hunting. This is why it feels like the BJP’s narrative has changed but the party’s leaders – be it PM Modi, union minister Amit Shah, national president JP Nadda, defence minister Rajnath Singh or candidates like him – are continuing to reach out to people with a positive attitude and are promoting a positive narrative, he added.

“…That this election will decide the fate of the country is our focus. This election will decide whether Modi ji becomes the prime minister or on the other side is a question mark. Because even though they have said that they will appoint five prime ministers in five years, they have not been able to say who those five will be, and who will be the first,” Goyal said.

But, the Congress has claimed that these issues are a construct of the BJP and the party has not talked about wealth redistribution or even mentioned Muslims in their manifesto. The minister then mentioned former overseas Congress president Sam Pitroda, who recently resigned in the wake of a controversy triggered by his comments on race and colour of Indians from the northeast and south. He had said those from the northeast looked like Chinese while those down south like African Americans. Not only this, before that, Pitroda had also stirred a controversy by talking about 55 per cent inheritance tax, the implementation of which the BJP said was another intention of the opposition if it came to power.

“…you see Sam Pitroda ji has been their trusted adviser and for years, he used to tom-tom it too. Sam Pitroda ji was taken around the world in the name of overseas Congress and he would badmouth the country there as well. Now, when such a person talks about 55% inheritance tax at the same time and, I believe, that he must have definitely had a hand in the manifesto as well,” Goyal said.

He added: “Now, on the one hand the manifesto comes, which says we will take the details of everyone’s savings, we will investigate everyone, we will assess the savings you have. And if we talk about redistribution of wealth, then for redistributing the savings, first you will have to take it and snatch it. So, naturally that’s what they are saying.”

He further said four things happened at the same time: first, the manifesto says assets will be fully investigated for everyone in the country, including every middle-class person. “If 25 crore people have come out of poverty, then broadly most of them are in the middle class. So, the details of all their assets will be collected. The second narrative is that on the basis of population, they will redistribute wealth. A third narrative is created that the minorities and, this is false, have been treated unfairly by Modi ji, so they have first right to the country’s resources, as said by our former prime minister. And then fourth, Sam Pitroda ji talks about inheritance tax at the same time,” he said.

Goyal said perhaps Pitroda inadvertently spoke his mind and 55% inheritance tax, like in the US, is not little. India had an inheritance tax earlier, but it was a small amount, he said. “Can talking about 55% tax be good for India? Now, when you connect these four links, only then can you understand what is the thinking of the Congress and in which direction Rahul Gandhi and his friends want to take the country. That is why I think we felt it necessary to alert the country about their mindset,” he added.