‘NYAY Criticism My Personal Opinion’: Niti Aayog VC Responds to EC

Rajiv Kumar had accused Congress of promising the moon to win elections after the party’s minimum income promise.

Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Rajiv Kumar responded to the EC’s letter demanding an explanation of his comments on Congress’ NYAY minimum income scheme for the upcoming elections, The Indian Express reported.

The Indian Express report quoted Kumar as saying that he had spoken in his personal capacity as an economist and that this was not Aayog’s stand on the scheme.

Kumar, as per the report, is said to have cited the example of Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the erstwhile deputy chairman of Planning Commission, who had commented on the Gujarat Model in April 2014 when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force. It further said that Kumar has confirmed sending his response to the EC.

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The Election Commission had, on Wednesday 27 March, issued a notice to NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar over his remarks attacking the Congress over minimum income guarantee promise, NDTV reported.

The EC said Kumar’s comments violated the poll code which prohibits officials to support the government and sought his response in two days.

"It is not a case of one politician attacking the other or one party attacking the other," a functionary had told PTI on Tuesday.

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 have made similar remarks in an interview as well.

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.

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(With inputs from NDTV and The Indian Express)