The Congress party, citing a report by The World Inequality Lab, has accused the Narendra Modi government of nurturing a ‘billionaire raj’ that has exacerbated wealth inequality in India. According to the report, India’s richest 1% now hold a historically high 22.6% share of national income, while the bottom 50% of the population only hold a 15% share.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleges that Modi’s policies have favored the wealthy elite, impoverishing the poor and manipulating data to hide the true extent of inequality. Ramesh criticizes measures such as demonetization, the hasty rollout of the GST, and changes to environmental, land acquisition, farm, and labor laws, which he claims have all contributed to widening the wealth gap.
Additionally, Ramesh highlights concerns over the government’s handling of economic data, accusing it of suppressing unfavorable information to perpetuate a narrative of success.