India TV Chunav Manch: In a hard-hitting reaction to Rahul Gandhi's mentor Sam Pitroda advocating a US-type inheritance tax provision, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said, "If you join all the dots of what Manmohan Singh said, what the Congress manifesto says, I can say, Sam Pitroda's 'soch' (thoughts) reflects the 'Parivaarik (family) Soch." Replying to questions at India TV's day-long conclave Chunav Manch, Jaishankar was asked for his reaction on Sam Pitroda's advocacy of a US-type inheritance tax.
Jaishankar replied: "Do not take this as an isolated remark of an individual. It is part of a thought process. First Congress speaks of carrying out a nationwide survey of properties owned by all. Then they say, there should be redistribution (of wealth). They say with pride that ours is a revolutionary manifesto. They had been saying for long that some sections have the first priority over the nation's resources. Pitroda was citing this example so that you accept it. Later they realized the reaction that would take place. Now they are explaining that Pitroda does not speak for our party and that he did not actually mean what he said. And what do the records say? Rahul Gandhi says there must be a census, then he says there must be redistribution. He acknowledges Pitroda as his mentor. Dr Manmohan Singh was made to say, because the remote control was being held by the family, that some sections have the first priority on our resources. Now if you fit all these, what is the picture? It is not Pitroda's 'soch, it is not Rahul Gandhi's 'soch', Yeh Paarivarik soch Hai. (it is the family's thought process). This is the thinking of Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi. So the fourth generation of this family wants licence raj, control raj, poverty raj back, and we shall control whether your property will remain with you or not. And if we feel that your property should belong to some others, it will be done."
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Jaishankar on India's foreign policy
On India's foreign policy, Jaishankar said, "When I go abroad, I do say that though I am the Foreign Minister, I am actually Modi Ji Ka Videsh Mantri (Modi's Foreign Minister)...India and the Indian government have changed in the last 10 years."
On border issue with China
On Rahul Gandhi's charge that the Modi government has not given a strong reply to China on the border issue, Jaishankar said: "Thousands of troops have been deployed in the last four years from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control. Have the troops been deployed at the instance of Rahul Gandhi? Who gave our troops their weapons and equipment? The reply is not given by statements, the reply is given through the army. Had the troops not been deployed, how did the frictions take place, particularly in Galwan Valley...This is not a debate, where you say we did not reply to what China did. The reply is given through the deployment of force, four years ago and still now. If there is tranquillity there, it is because of our deployment. The only problem that remains is patrolling. They stop our troops at some points, our troops stop them at some other points. Baseless rumours are being spread. The fact that our troops are still deployed there, is because of the directions of Prime Minister Modi."
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