Akhilesh Yadav Proposes 2 Per Cent Tax on ‘Upper Caste Elites’ In SP Manifesto To Tackle ‘Economic Disparity’

Releasing its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party made a clarion call for ‘Greater Change through social justice; (सामाजिक न्याय से महापरिवर्तन), All India Radio reported.

The party’s manifesto was released in Lucknow today (5 April) by Samajwadi Party  Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

The party’s manifesto has announced if voted to power that it will levy tax of 2 per cent on the “upper caste elites” whose total wealth of household is more than Rs 2.5 crore.

Yadav said the 10 per cent of the total population owns more than 60 per cent of the country’s wealth.

Dismissing the privileged as casteist, the party’s vision document said that “The elite and the rich dismiss us as power hungry. These are all lies designed to maintain and perpetuate oppressive power structures to benefit the few”.

“We believe it is also time to add a top income tax bracket for the ultra-rich who hide their income using complex structures. Doing so would unlock up to an additional 1 per cent of the GDP,” the party said in its manifesto.

Yadav also said that farmers will only be happy after their loans are totally waived-off.

Yadav launched a scathing attack on BJP and accused it of making rich people more richer and poor people poorer through their policies like GST. He alleged that BJP has weakened the fight for social justice.

The party also promised that it will raise an Ahir Armoured Regiment and a Gujarat Infantry Regiment.