BJP leaders saw the Congress president's tweet as an attempt to slight PM Modi (File)
Highlights
- Rahul Gandhi blamed PM Modi for uneven wealth distribution in India
- Mr Gandhi had referenced an Oxfam study in his tweet
- A BJP spokesman said inequality was a consequence of Congress' policies
Just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his speech hard-selling India to the world in Davos, Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted a swipe at PM Modi blaming him for the uneven distribution of wealth in the country.
"Dear PM, Welcome to Switzerland! Please tell DAVOS why 1% of India's population gets 73% of its wealth? I'm attaching a report for your ready reference," Mr Gandhi said, triggering a storm of replies and retweets from his supporters and critics alike.
Mr Gandhi's reference was to an Oxfam study that concluded that the richest 1 per cent Indians cornered 73 per cent the wealth generated in the country last year. But many pointed that the challenge of bridging the divide between the rich and poor wasn't just limited to India.
According to international rights group Oxfam which released the annual survey in Davos ahead of the World Economic Forum meeting, the situation was grimmer globally where 82 per cent of the wealth generated last year went to 1 per cent population.
In his speech at the World Economic Forum, PM Modi had also referred to the dangers posed due to inequality, asserting that "the biggest reason for fracture within the countries is inequality and disparity leading to divide and dis-trust".
His government, PM Modi said, was taking steps to bridge the income and opportunity divide by taking various steps. "Personally, I have always said that development process should be inclusive and encompassing," he said, listing some of the steps that his government had taken.
BJP leaders saw the Congress president's tweet as an attempt to slight PM Modi and called Mr Gandhi's post an example of the pot calling the kettle black.
"This inequality is the disastrous consequence of your family's patented Nehru Congress's "Poverty Perpetuation" Model of Governance by which only Congressis became rich," BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao tweeted.
In the last three-and-a-half years, the Modi government has tirelessly worked towards inclusive growth, and taken a number of pro-poor initiatives such as Jan Dhan Yojana and Ujjawala scheme, Mr Rao said.
PM Modi was in Switzerland for a packed 24-hour visit, and a dinner meeting last night, talked about India's growth story and presented investment opportunities to over 40 global industry bosses from 18 countries, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Reliance's Mukesh Ambani, Airbus CEO Dirk Hoke.