Rahul Gandhi promises minimum universal basic income for poor if Congress returns to power

After winning in 2019 we will take a step that no party has ever taken, we will ensure minimum universal basic income for the poor if it returns to power after the Lok Sabha polls due in April-May, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Monday at a public rally in Chhattisgarh's Atal Nagar.

The Congress president claimed that the move would be unprecedented as 'no government in the world has ever taken such a decision'.

Sharing the news on social media site Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said: We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers & sisters suffer the scourge of poverty. If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty & hunger. This is our vision & our promise.

At the public rally earlier, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of trying to create two Indias—“one of the Rafale scam, Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and the other of the poor farmers”.

Gandhi made the remarks at the ‘Kisaan Abhaar Sammelan’ held in Raipur to express gratitude to Chhattisgarh’s people, particularly farmers, for voting the party to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.

“The Congress has decided to take a historic decision... The Congress-led government is going to give minimum income guarantee. This means, each poor person in India will have minimum income. This means there will be no hungry, poor people in India,” Gandhi said.

He also distributed loan waiver certificates to some of the beneficiary farmers during the function.