Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary, All India Trade Union Congress, inaugurates the delegates’ meeting of the 18th State conference of the union in Kochi on Wednesday.
Amarjeet Kaur, national general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of aiding the interests of businessmen Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani while ignoring the plight of the poor and the common man in the country.
“The wealth from the poor people is flowing outward and reaching the pockets of Adanis and Ambanis. The result is that inequality is on the rise,” said Ms. Kaur during her inaugural address at the delegates’ meet held as part of the State conference of the trade union in Kochi, Kerala, on January 3 (Wednesday).
Stating that the country’s public sector was under attack, Ms. Kaur said that natural resources and national assets have been put on sale. “Mr. Modi is helping his closest friends among the corporates – Adani and Ambani. The 1% of the top rich billionaires and millionaires in the country are in control of the 30% of the total wealth of the country. And for the bottom 50%, which is about 70 crore Indians, their share is only 3%,” she said.
Pointing out that the taxes on the billionaires are continuously reduced, Ms. Kaur said the poor man is paying all the taxes in the name of Goods and Services Tax (GST). “Those who are looters of our money – the top 10% rich Indians – paid only 3% of the GST last year,” she said.
‘Economy in tatters’
Ms. Kaur said the nation’s economy is in tatters. “Unemployment is rising daily. Our youth is suffering. Prices are soaring high. Life is difficult for the poor and downtrodden sections. Education and health are becoming more expensive,” she said.
Referring to the women’s conference to be addressed by Mr. Modi in Thrissur on Wednesday, Ms. Kaur alleged that a person “who has no regard for women” is holding a women’s conference.
Binoy Viswam, State secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI); Elamaram Kareem, MP; and R. Chandrasekharan, State president of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) were among those who attended.