Citing a report that stated the incomes of the rich increased and that of the poor declined during the pandemic, the Congress on Monday alleged the Modi Government is for the rich and demanded that the union budget should focus on bridging the widening income divide.
"The entire country suffered during the Covid pandemic, but the poor and the middle class are also victims of the 'economic epidemic' of the Modi Government. The credit for digging this widening gap between the rich and the poor goes to the central government," former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.
He cited a report that claimed that incomes of the poor reduced by 53 per cent while that of the rich increased during Covid times. The report showed the widening disparity in annual household incomes, with the poorest 20 per cent of the population witnessing 52.6 per cent decline in their incomes and the lower middle class comprising 20 per cent facing a decline of 32.4 per cent in their income, while the richest (20 per cent) saw 39 per cent rise in their
incomes.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said at AICC press conference that the Modi government is only working for the benefit of the rich and the incomes of 20 per cent poor population have halved and the income of 60 per cent of the population has reduced to its lowest level during the Modi regime.
"We categorically and assertively insist that the union budget must focus on bridging this divide.... The union budget should only focus on increasing money in the hands of the poor. The union budget should pay attention on how urban poverty is going up many fold and rural poverty in comparison has gone up," she said. Shrinate also demanded that the government institute a gross economic mismanagement index to know how badly mismanaged the Indian economy is.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the "Modi government is only for the rich! It is now before us - 'The poor is poorer and 'Hum do, hamare do' is reaping silver."