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A political pandemonium erupted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore into the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi on the latter’s ‘financial and institutional survey’ promise for the re-distribution of the country’s wealth and jobs. The former Congress chief made this remark on April 6 in Hyderabad under his caste census vow. Rahul said upon forming the government, the Congress party will do a caste census so that the backwards, SCs, STs, poor of general castes and minorities get to know how much they account for in the country.

He said the work on the financial and institutional surveys, to find who holds the country’s wealth, will follow the exercise. He said people will be granted their rights across the institutions in the country.

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PM Modi Jab And Manmohan Singh’s 2006 Statement:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan, rebuked the Wayanad MP for his aforementioned statement, citing former PM Manmohan Singh’s 2006 remark on the distribution of the country’s resources. Linking Manmohan Singh’s statement with Rahul’s wealth re-distribution remark, PM Modi asked among whom the Congress would re-distribute the country’s wealth.   

"Earlier, when their (Congress) government was in power, they had said that Muslims have the first right on the country's assets. This means to whom will this property be distributed? It will be distributed among those who have more children. It will be distributed to the infiltrators. Should your hard-earned money go to the infiltrators? Do you approve of this?" PM Modi said.

Congress Retaliates:

The Congress party, while reacting to PM Modi’s comment, said the BJP was trying to shift focus from the real issues after ‘disappointment’ in the first phase of voting. The grand old party also shared a fact-check video on Manmohan Singh’s statement.

“After the disappointment in the first phase of voting, the level of Narendra Modi's lies has fallen so much that out of fear, he now wants to divert the attention of the public from the issues. Trends have started coming in regarding the immense support that Congress's 'Revolutionary Manifesto' is receiving. The country will now vote on its issues, vote for its employment, its family and its future. India will not go astray!” Rahul Gandhi posted on X.  

Other Opposition leaders, including former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised PM Modi’s remark. 

PMO On Manmohan Singh's Comment:

As per the then PMO, Manmohan Singh said, "I believe our collective priorities are clear: agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education, a critical investment in rural infrastructure, and the essential public investment needs of general infrastructure, along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, Other Backward Classes, minorities, and women and children.

"The component plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will need to be revitalised. We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources. The Centre has myriad other responsibilities whose demands will have to be fitted within the overall resource availability." 

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The PMO clarified that the Prime Minister's mention of the 'first claim on resources' encompasses all the 'priority' areas listed, which include initiatives for the advancement of SCs, STs, OBCs, women and children, as well as minorities.