After the NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday made comments attacking the Congress over minimum income guarantee promise, the Election Commission has sent him a letter seeking an explanation of his comments, the Indian Express reported on Wednesday.
Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday launched a verbal assault on the Congress over its minimum income guarantee scheme and accused the party of promising the moon to win elections. He 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 also said the Congress party had promised 'Garibi Hatao' in 1971, 'One Rank One Pension' in 2008, food security in 2013 to win elections, but could not fulfil any of those.
The "same unfortunate fate" awaits the populist and opportunistic promise of minimum income guarantee, he added.
Kumar has been given two days to respond to the letter by the EC, according to the report.
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.
At a press conference in Delhi 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.
(with inputs from PTI)
