Tell Davos why 1% of Indians get 73% of wealth: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos why the richest 1% of India's population cornered 73% of the wealth generated in the country last year.

Rahul's tweet came only minutes after Modi finished his speech in Davos.

"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," Rahul said in a tweet.

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. https://t.co/lLSNOig5pE

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 23, 2018

Rahul cited a media report quoting a survey from Oxfam which had highlighted the vast gap between the India's rich and the poor.

On Monday, international rights groups Oxfam released a survey which said that the richest 1% in India own 73% of the wealth generated in the country.

The Congress leader suggested that PM Modi who today delivered the keynote address at the plenary session at the World Economic Forum in Davos should address this issue as well in front of the world leaders.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra responded to the Congress leader's question and held the previous governments headed by the Indian National Congress responsible for the economic gap.

The figures only indicate the growing incoming inequality which political parties and ruling governments in the states and at the Centre refuse to admit itself, forget about addressing it.

The annual Oxfam survey is keenly watched and is discussed in detail at the World Economic Forum annual meeting where rising income and gender inequality is among the key talking points for the world leaders. Last year's survey had showed that India's richest 1 per cent held a huge 58 per cent of the country's total wealth -- higher than the global figure of about 50 per cent. This year's survey also showed that the wealth of India's richest 1 per cent increased by over Rs 20.9 lakh crore during 2017 -- an amount equivalent to total budget of the central government in 2017-18, Oxfam India said.

Today, Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to address the World Economic Forum (WEF) here today during which he talked about "serious" challenges and "grave concerns" facing the world, including terrorism.

Climate change and terrorism are grave concerns before the world, Modi said, while asserting that terrorism is dangerous but what is equally dangerous is the "artificial distinction" made between 'good terrorist' and 'bad terrorist'.

He also noted that the last time when an Indian Prime Minister came here in 1997, India's GDP was a little more than USD 400 billion, but now it has increased more than six-times.

OneIndia News