Inheritance tax will not be levied: Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 25 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar dismissed Sam Pitroda's statement on inheritance tax and said Congress will not levy any inheritance tax.
Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, he said, "There will neither be birth tax nor death tax when Congress comes to power in the Centre. Sam Pitroda's statement is his individual opinion and the Congress party has nothing to do with it."
He said that Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had already stated Sam Pitroda's comment.
"Jairam Ramesh has issued a statement regarding Sam Pitroda's comment. This is India, there are traditions and practices and they will continue. Congress Party doesn't stand by his statement. Congress party stands for what it has said in its manifesto, anything outside of it is not our agenda," he said.
He said that the Prime Minister's statement showed his desperation.
Asked about the Prime minister's tirade against the Congress party in Karnataka, he said, "The Prime minister is desperate. They don't have a base in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Karnataka, the BJP will not reach double digits. Hence, he is showing his desperation. He is talking about Mangalasutra. The gold which was at Rs 2,800 per gram in 2014 has become Rs 7,500 today. He is ensuring that people don't have money to buy mangalasutra. Modi has been in power for ten years, he should maintain the decorum of the position. He is insulting our traditions by talking about mangalasutra. Priyanka Gandhi rightly said in Bengaluru that her mother has sacrificed mangalasutra for the country."
He said that there are reports from Tamil Nadu that the INDIA bloc will win all 40 seats in the State.
"Similar results will come from Kerala too. That is why BJP is so desperate," he noted.
He claimed that the IT department was deliberately targeting Congress leaders to prevent them from campaigning.
"The Income Tax department is deliberately targeting Congress leaders to prevent them from campaigning. Has the IT department raided even a single BJP leader's house? They are working as BJP agents. They are especially targeting Bengaluru Rural constituency," he said.
"Election is taking place in Karnataka tomorrow. Congress has promised to deliver Rs 1 lakh per year for women, Rs 1 lakh per year for youth, Rs 25 lakh health insurance for the poor, employment guarantee for youth, etc. Vote wisely and vote for Congress which has kept all its promises," he added.
Earlier, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda backed the party's stand on redistribution of wealth and advocated an inheritance tax law in the country. Emphasing the need for policy towards wealth redistribution, Pitroda elaborated on the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America.
"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda said. (ANI)