NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has, reportedly, issued a notice to NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar seeking reply for his comments against the Congress party's poll promise of minimum income support for the poor. Sources in the poll panel said, since Kumar is part of "bureaucratic executive", such remarks may be violative of the model code.
"It is not a case of one politician attacking the other or one party attacking the other," said a functionary.
Kumar had accused the Congress of promising the moon to win elections.
He had also tweeted, saying "The proposed income guarantee scheme fails the economics test, fiscal discipline test and execution test".
In another tweet, Kumar had claimed that, "true to its past record of promising the moon to win elections, Congress President announces a scheme that will bust fiscal discipline, create strong incentives against work and which will never be implemented."
Kumar is reported to made similar remarks in an interview also.
At a press conference here on Monday, Rahul Gandhi announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if Congress comes to power.
"They did demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax. We will give NYAY and a real GST. NYAY= Surgical strike on poverty = Rs 72,000 a year to India's poorest 20 per cent," he said on Twitter.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gandhi's sister and Congress General Secretary for eastern UP, said the Nyay scheme will empower women. "Happy that under the NYAY scheme, women will receive Rs 72,000 directly into their accounts. Empower a woman, empower a family," she tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)
